Knightfall
by 7th Librarian
Summary: First in the 'Shadowchasers: Backwater' trilogy. A demonic knight has declared the city of Backwater, Nebraska to be the sight of his last crusade- a city-sized offering of fire and death to his gods. But standing against this bringer of darkness are the eight Shadowchasers who live there. In a battle between knights, who's valor will stand victorious...and who's will fall?
1. Hunt The Hunters! Shadowchaser Roll Call

Knightfall  
By 7th Librarian

A/N: _Greetings, one and all, to my latest fanfic. For those of you not in the know, the 'Shadowchaser' style of stories for the Yu-gi-oh fandom was spearheaded by long-time fanfic author Cyber Commander and I thank him for allowing me to play in his sandbox. If you're wondering what a Shadowchaser is exactly, then please see his original Shadowchasers story to get a good explanation._

_For everyone who does know, this story is the proper chronicle of the Backwater Shadowchasers. All of the current members debuted in 'Shadowchasers: Twice-Told Tales', so if you find yourself unfamiliar with any of them, that is a good place to start._

_There is also some basic information I need to cover, mostly in relation to the card game and this story's relation to timeline._

_First off, this story has been split into three separate stories, mostly for my own sanity as its much easier to tackle three thirty+ chapter stories than one giant 90+chapter story. So this is first one, though they are collectively known as Shadwchasers: Backwater'. Which is why this story doesn't carry the 'Shadowchasers' name in front of it-redundant to do so._

_As per the guidelines, this Shadowchaser's story will be following the real life TCG Banlist and will stick with the March 2013 list, throughout its run. (The list that was active when this chapter was first written.) There will be exceptions to duelists using cards on this list in the name of storytelling and plot, but they will be rare, if any happen at all._

_There will also be a goodly number of fan-created cards in this story as well. Such cards will be listed in full at the end of the chapter and if there are of the strength to be banned, restricted and limited, annotations regarding that also put there. I apologize if this bothers anyone, but Yu-gi-oh in both the real world and the anime constantly evolves with every set of cards released and given how this story takes place in the Yu-gi-oh 5Ds era, I think its reasonable to assume that the card pool is still consistently expanding._

_Speaking of time, Backwater takes place about ten years after the events of 5Ds. This places it about two years AFTER the 'Where Are They Now' flashbacks from the final episode of Yu-gi-oh 5Ds Japanese anime. (Sorry, fans of the dub. Take a look at the Yu-gi-oh wikia to see what we missed out on.)_

_This also places it as the latest story story in the Shadowchasers timeline, though I don't think I'll be getting any prize for that._

_This means that the Shadowchasers of Backwater all have gained a few years. I'll list them here:_

Tsubasa Springweather: 28  
Fayte Nyte: Immortal  
Tsukihime Nyte: Immortal  
Maria Temorline: 41  
Gurren: Unknown  
Rave: 29  
Kenshin: As a spirit being, does not age. Has been 'alive' for about forty years.

_Rayearth: Immortal_

I'll also take this time to point out that this fanfic is rated 'M'.

_Why?_

_In part, this is because all of my characters are adults. They can-and will- deal with adult problems and issues. They don't need to be mollycoddled and deal with Saturday morning cartoon villains. The other part is than 'M'-rated fic means I can deal with more serious subject matter freely. Also, keep in mind that 'M' does not necessarily mean 'horribly dark and sad' or 'there will be much of the sex!', either. Again, it is adult characters dealing with adult issues._

_That being said, I am writing this story to have fun and entertain my readers. I promise you now that there is one key thought behind motivations and premise for this story._

When darkness falls, heroes rise. And it is always darkest before the dawn.

_Now, all of the twiddly bits of background information and warnings are out of the way._

_Let's have some fun!_

Chapter 1: Hunt the Hunters! Shadowchasers! Roll Call!

"You ever wonder why we're here?" The speaker was a tall red-haired, young teenager. Dressed in jeans, a shirt with the words 'The Pause Button Exists So You Can Savor The Look of Terror On The Bad Guy's Face' on it and a jeans jacket, she sitting on crate and idly swinging her legs back and forth. A long staff was settled next to her, its top resembling a mix-mash of video game controller buttons and a slot to insert discs.

"What?" Her companion was a youthful-looking man, leaning across the way on another stack of crates. He too wore jeans, but had declined a jacket and instead wore a black t-shirt. Wavy brown hair was brushed out of his eyes and he folded his arms. A sword was hanging at his side and it scraped against the crates as he shifted position.

"I mean, do we have a purpose? Why are we right here, right now? What does that-" She stopped speaking and green-eyes blinked in mild surprise as a finger was thrust at her.

"Kenshin, if you try to sucker me into that gag again, I swear I will find a way to make you eat your staff!"

"Oh, c'mon!" Kenshin pouted at him as he withdrew the finger and gave her a look. "Tsubasa!"

"No! Last time we did that Blue versus Red thing, everyone heard us!" The man huffed and ignored her pouting look. "They called me Caboose for a week!"

"It's Red versus Blue, thank you very much! One of best machinma to ever exist!"

"I don't care if it is Purple versus Fuchsia." Tsubasa grunted in annoyance. "Where'd you find that show, anyway?"

"Where else? The Internet. Nothing ever goes away on there." Kenshin gave him a lopsided grin. "Not even your mom's videos of you dancing in your dinosaur underwear when you were five..."

"What? How did you find out about those!?" Tsubasa's eyebrow twitched madly, his cheeks flaming.

A see-through form appeared alongside Tsubasa, watching the two make faces at one another. He was as tall as the young man, but his hair was blonde and he was dressed in fancy armor that was more for look than function, given that it had styling in gold along the edges and a cape. He regarded the two for a moment and then lifted an eyebrow. (_Isn't fuchsia a shade of purple?)_

"Not now, Neo!" Tsubasa barked at the spirit.

(_But if it was Purple versus Fuchsia, wouldn't they be fighting themselves?) _The spirit asked curiously.

Kenshin sniggered. "Good point, Neo."

_(Apparently, schools here do not teach colors.)_

"That would explain why his outfits are so horrible and lacking coordination. Or he's just color blind."

"I am not colorblind! Orange goes with anything!" Tsubasa glanced back before the two snickering teammates he had and growled in irritation. "I will get you _both_ for this."

His commpiece crackled and a lilting voice spoke in his ear. _"Given that one is a Duel Spirit and the other is the spirit of a gaming console, I feel I must point that your threats against them are rather...immaterial."_

"Not helping, Maria!"

TTTTTTT

"So you say." Two blocks away atop a rooftop and peering at the arguing pair through her rifle scope, Maria readjusted her fancy hat with her other hand and smiled. "I happen to think the getting some laughs on a stakeout is a great way to relax the team in preparation for our future exertions."

"_Yeah, sure. This is coming from the team sniper, safe atop her rooftop and wearing a dress so poofy you could use it as a mattress. I'm sure exerting your trigger finger is such a draining task."_

"Don't be frumpy, Tsubasa." Maria shifted so that her pink and white ballroom dress did provide her more comfort and space between the hard cement and her body. "You get your comedic licks in just like the rest of us...you usually just miss, that's all."

"_...your dress makes you look like a layer cake!"_

"My point exactly." Maria shifted her rifle a bit. "And considering you just insulted the team sniper, you've shown why you always miss. Now...how fond of you are earrings? I think you're going to be needing to borrow a pair really soon..."

"_Maria. You can't shoot up teammates. We still need him in one piece." _A new voice came over the comm, strong and carrying a crisp French accent. "_Making fun of him is not in the team spirit or promote comradrie."_

"_Thank you, Fayte. I knew someone would be on my side here."_

"_Besides, think about all the paperwork you'd have to fill to explain a weapons misfire."_

"_Hey!"_

"Good point. He's not worth wasting my bullets on, anyway." Maria zoomed out slightly and slowly swept her sight away from her teammates and across the warehouse they were hiding near. "I'll just trap him in a horrible paperwork illusion for a few minutes later."

"_Joke is on you, fox! I _like_ doing paperwork!"_

"...I think I'll leave that one alone. Fayte, where you and the others at? I think you were supposed to be sneaking into the warehouse."

"_We're in alley not far from there. Just waiting for more of them to show up first. Better if we fit ourselves into a group than just show up unannounced."_

TTTTTTT

"_Makes sense, but are you sure we should send you and Tsukihime in? You two aren't exactly the most inconspicuous of individuals."_

"That's the point, my dear." Fayte shared an amused glance with her wife. As a vampire and a succubus, respectively, both of them possessed looks that combined the best of supermodels and porn stars. And given that they were dressed in corsets under their robes to deliver plunging cleavage and had applied make-up make themselves look like teenage girls trying to look older than they were, they were getting the most mileage out of it. "Since this group is composed of Shadowkind mostly wishing to rebel against society and find independence, we should fit in."

"_While that makes sense, how about the fact being a vampire means that going for a walk in the sunlight gives new meaning to the phrase 'human torch'? Well, not human per see..."_

"It will be fine. These Rare Hunter robes are big enough to cover me entirely and should something happen, my Cloak of the Night will activate." Fayte fingered the tattered edge of said cloak for reassurance. The cloak was a rare magical item that, when worn by a vampire, would turn them into an intangible mass of shadow fabric while in sunlight. "For now, just keep an eye out for some more Rare Hunters we can join to into the warehouse."

"Tch. Rare Hunters...their days of glory have been over since Battle City, right? So why are they still lurking around thinking they're scary? There what duelists dress up as Halloween for laughs!" The speaker was another young woman, wearing jeans and a grease-stained gray hoodie. Leaning back against her D-Wheel, she drummed her fingers on the frame. "And aren't they supposed to be Card Ghouls, anyway?"

"After Marik's defeat at Battle City, the group split off into a bunch of different factions. Without his Millennium Rod offering control of the more rowdy ones, it wasn't that surprising." Tsukihime explained and readjusted the clasp of her robe. "The American branch took on the name 'Rare Hunters' instead which, according to them, was to make them less threatening to the kids they wanted to duel and steal from..."

"Ah." Rave grunted. "And here I was thinking it was because of that _Dead Love_ book, with that airheaded idiot of a main character falling for this ghoul boy, who wanted to eat her flesh, but resisted with the power of love and that somehow made him able to be normal because plot convenience."

"If I was chased out of town duel to misleading fangirls, I would change my name as well." The fourth member of the group rumbled. Looming head and shoulders over any of his compatriots, he would have looked at home in any 'Men In Black' film with his broad shoulders, nice black suit, sunglasses and flattop haircut and square jaw.

Except that square jaw almost literally square and closer examination of his appearance would in fact reveal he was carved from some kind of stone and his hair, in fact, was simply shaped and painted to look as such. "The power and fury of a fandom is not something to be underestimated."

"Neither is the stupidity of criminals, Gurren. Why should we pull off a stakeout when it'd be easier to just put some rare cards on display and let them come to us? Even if they knew its a trap, they wouldn't be able to resist." Rave said.

"I believe it is because recent reports have shown the Rare Hunter/Card Ghoul organization on the rise in several countries for various reasons and for the most part, this group has been strictly human. However, the London Shadowchasers captured a Shadowkind member of the group just last week and that led to several more arrests, but not all of the ones that in the area." Gurren explained. "Given how many Shadowkind crime organizations there are already are, it seems prudent to stop this one before it spreads."

"Which means digging out the root, not just cutting off the plant." Tsukihime put in, turning to face the other two. "According to the rumors we've picked up, the person organizing the Rare Hunters to create a cell here in Backwater is a higher-up from another large group somewhere on the West Coast. We nab him, we get another big lead to the next one."

She paused. "Rave, why are you staring at me?"

"I'm admiring the construction of that lovely steel-boned corset you're wearing and the rather snuggly-looking contents in it." Rave was indeed staring unabashedly at the succubus' impressive body.

"You just finished your umpteenth boyfriend, you're not my type and I'm taken." Tsukihime pointed out.

"Yep. But I do like well-constructed things and you and your corset qualify." Rave grinned and then chuckled as Tsukihime gave her a little bow to accept the compliment. "Careful, you might spill out."

"I doubt it." Fayte smirked playfully. "I helped her into it that and she's not getting free unless I help her out, too."

"_Which I am sure will be a most pleasurable endeavor, ladies." _The voice came over their earpieces at the same time-neutral, precise and meaning business. "_We're nearing the time for the meeting, so if more Rare Hunters do not arrive soon, go in together and make the best of it. Rave, Gurren, get on your vehicles and to your assigned positions before the other two start kissing."_

"Hey, just because I'm a succubus and she's a vampire, doesn't mean we have crazy awesome sex at the drop of a hat or on missions, Rayearth." Tsukihime protested lightly and then grinned. "There's no random passerby that we have to hide our faces from as an excuse for kissing, for one thing."

"Uh-huh..." Rave rapped on Gurren's front with her knuckle. "C'mon, ya big lug, let's get going. And hope we get to see some action this time. I don't want to be stuck playing tic-tac-toe again."

"Are you wishing to see action on this mission because you are bored or because you do not want to me increase the total of games in my favor again?" Gurren asked as he settled onto his D-Wheel, a large black-and-red three-wheeled monstrosity dubbed the _'Heavy Metal'_.

"I totally have our games under control." Rave informed him as she swung aboard her own D-Wheel. Both vehicles started smoothly, their engines a surprisingly quiet purr.

"I look forward to seeing the long-term strategy you have developed for tic-tac-toe, then. I am sure that since the record is three-hundred-twenty-four to seven hundred and eighty-nine in my favor, it will-and I quote modern sayings here- 'Rock my socks off.'" The golem started for the end of the alley. "I will even wear socks for the occasion."

"Ha-ha, sarcasm man." Rave stuck her tongue out at him and zipped her D-Wheel down a different alley.

Fayte and Tsukihime watched them go and then approached the end of the alley, peering carefully out at their target building. "Is everything ready on your end, Rayearth?"

TTTTTTT

"Everything has been ready for the last forty minutes, Fayte. The Watchguard are on standby to help you engage any unexpected threats. And the police force are as well." Dressed in a black suit coat with a red ruffle at the collar, Rayearth took a short drink of her bottle. "You and Tsukihime infiltrate, Tsubasa and Kenshin spring the trap and you two capture the leader. Maria keeps track of and stops any major surprise threats and Rave and Gurren help corral any who make it to their vehicles. We have covered all of the angles."

"_I know we have, but you know what the say about the best laid plans of mice and men." _The vampire replied. "_Sometimes the simplest operations are the ones to go the most wrong."_

"If they do, I expect you to handle it. You are all professionals and a talented group of youngsters." Rayearth pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose slightly, the lenses' glare only partially hiding the criss-cross of scars over her permanently closed eyes. "The plan is there to give direction, you are all there to make it happen."

"_Fayte, its Maria." _The Kyubi's voice interrupted Fayte's response. _"There's a Rare Hunter heading towards the warehouse, robe and all. Looks like an Aware human."_

TTTTTTT

"Thank you, Maria." Nudging Tsukihime, she jerked her head towards the end alley. At her wife's nod, they both pulled up the hoods of their robes up and waited until their target had passed the alleyway before stepping out after them.

Maria was correct in identifying the Rare Hunter as a human; a young man who had to barely be in his twenties and started when the two women stepped up on either side of him. "Huh-wha-?!"

"Take it easy, friend." Tsukihime put a finger to her lips and smiled to put him at ease. "Let's not draw too much attention to ourselves-these robes can be bad enough, ya know?"

"Er-yeah." The youth hastily agreed, his eyes immediately flicking over her body and back up before red spread across his cheeks. "I just...I mean, didn't expect members to be...I, oh, I'm new and all, but I thought-"

"Ah, a rookie." Fayte patted his arm and his head swiveled around to look at her, repeating the process he done with Tsukihime. She just chuckled playfully, which only caused his blush to deepen. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of you, sweet."

"Y-yeah..." The youth stammered again and settled for looking at his feet, leading the trio along until they got to the warehouse. "I...I don't think I've seen you before. I'm Arthur."

"We're from out of town. You guys can't go up against the police and Shadowchasers without some experience, so we're here to give you some." Tsukihime informed him and tapped his nose with a finger, giving him a wink. "Just can't say who we are or where we're from. Just in case, you know..."

"Ah, yeah that makes sense. Wallace said we were meeting with someone big from another group, too." They reached the door of the warehouse and Arthur rapped on it three times.

A slot in the middle slid open and a pair of eyes peered out of the darkness. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Arthur. The new guy."

The eyes studied him for a bit and then flicked between the two women. "Who are they?"

"They said they're from out of town, here to help us." Arthur explained and the two women smiled at the eyes.

As the eyes flicked between them again, looking them over carefully, Fayte felt a slight tingle run up her spine and knew that Tsukihime was tapping her natural abilities as a succubus. When you lived a life dedicated to seduction, learning how to manipulate and cajole was a necessary secondary skill and Tsukihime was using it by subtly using her powers to muddle the man's mind slightly, reinforcing they were who they said they were.

It worked, as the eyes' owner grunted. "Fine. What's the password?"

"Ah, um..." Arthur fumbled for a moment and then snapped his fingers. "Right. It is '_All that glitters is ours to take."_

"Mmmph." The slot slid shut and then after a moment, the door opened. "Enter."

The three stepped into the warehouse, the two Shadowchasers leaving Arthur behind as he had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

The building was indeed almost completely dark and gloomy. Even the windows had been boarded up or covered up in someway. About twenty or so Rare Hunters were milling about with some wearing the traditional cloaks and others apparently eschewing the idea. They were talking amongst themselves, though it was rather quietly so and it gave Fayte the impression they were all anticipating something.

She kept to the rear of the room, scanning for any other possible exit or entrance points to the building. Besides the door they had just entered, it looked like perhaps one or two of the windows were weak enough to jump through, though she doubted any of the Rare Hunters would be gutsy enough to leap through glass like that. The opposing side of the warehouse was shrouded in darkness even her eyes couldn't quite see through, so she marked it as at least one more exit on that end until she found otherwise.

The vampire leaned against the back wall, careful to make sure her robe covered her entirely. She could see Tsukihime making her way carefully through the crowd, laughing, giggling and flirting with the various Hunters who realized that this beautiful woman was one of their number. She left a trail of longing gazes as she approached the front, the better to apprehend the leaders when the time came.

And it seemed that time was approaching rapidly. Whatever light there was in the warehouse dimmed until there was barely anything to see with left. The gathered Rare Hunters fell silent and all turned to focus their attention on what Fayte realized was a stage on the opposite end. A series of candles on it suddenly ignited, revealing another Rare Hunter standing there.

"Welcome, my fellows." His voice was sharp and clear. As he spoke, he lowered his hood to reveal a youthful face. Both Shadowchasers recognized him from the reports as Wallace, leader of this particular cell. "Tonight promises to be a fruitful event, so your attendance is appreciated...and will be rewarded."

"For the longest time, our name as Rare Hunters has been besmirched, abused and degraded. Once, we were an organization who's hands were everywhere, and anything that we desired we could just take." His voice sped up slightly as he took on an urgent, excited tone. "Once, we were _feared_ and with that fear, came _power!_"

The other Rare Hunters present were nodding in agreement and he continued. "You all became Rare Hunters because you refused to bow to a world who's laws meant that the weak feed off the strong and you were denied what was rightfully yours because it wasn't 'fair' to others. And with us, you found that the rule of the strong holds true- we take what we want and we draw more power to ourselves. And yet-" He threw out his arms. "And yet it is still not enough, is it? Because we skulk in the night, not to create fear in our prey, but because we do not possess enough strength to declare ourselves! Once, our name struck fear into the heart of any duelist and even the King of Games himself spoke our name in a but a whisper!"

The crowd was focused entirely on him and Fayte had to admit that Wallace was a good speaker-it was easy to see his passion and charisma.

"But then, the leader Marik was defeated and we became nothing more than a laughingstock! But under him we enjoyed an unprecedented era of terror and fear, of wealth and power! Because he gave us something that made us more than petty card thieves stealing from display cases and pilfering booster packs! He gave us purpose!"

Wallace held up his hands in a grand gesture. "My friends, tonight I bring us new purpose! One that is not simply one man's driven ambition, but a purpose that will reward all of us with more than we could have ever dreamed! It will drive us forwards- forwards into the heights of glory, wealth and power! We will herald in a new age and be rewarded for it like the kings we know we are meant to be!"

"And just how are you going to do that?" One of the Hunters up near the front shouted as the crowd murmured and shifted awkwardly, surprised by this sudden turn of events. "Its not like you have a Millennium Item, Wallace!"

"No, I do not...but with our new purpose would come an even older magic, one that would put us par with the Shadowchasers!" Wallace smiled and stepped aside as a new figure began to emerge from the darkness. "I present to you our new benefactor and the key to our future."

The crowd, Fayte included, gasped as the newcomer stepped into the light. They were average height, but that was the only thing average about them. A tattered green cape hung from their neck loosely, while dark armor covered shoulders, torso, legs, backs of the hands and was completed with a nasty-looking horned helmet. Everywhere else was naught but bone. The figure gazed them with empty eyes as they swung their head about carefully, taking it all in. Their jaw did not move, though it was easy to hear the deep, male voice that they had when they spoke. "Greetings, little mortals...I am Skeleton Knight."

Before the Rare Hunters could do more than murmur in surprise, he held out a bony hand to silence them. At the same time, a dark miasma began to crawl across the floor. "Be honored, for I have seen your potential and power and deemed it worthy!"

They regarded him warily, but Fayte had to give them credit. Despite his appearance and the thick miasma rolling across the floor, the Rare Hunters didn't panic or flee. Instead, they were looking at him more like a business partner.

Wallace returned to Skeleton Knight's side. "He has magic, my friends. Magic that would once again allow us to bring the Shadow Games with us wherever we trod and stand up even to the Shadowchasers! And more than that, he has ways of increasing our own power, as well!"

He flung off his robe, revealing armor similar to that which Skeleton Knight wore. But even with the armor, it was easy to see the power packed into the muscles underneath. "All he asks in return that we serve his cause!"

"And what cause is that?" A random Rare Hunter barked. "You talk about this being a good thing, Wallace, but it seems to me you've cast aside being a Rare Hunter as easily as you tossed the robe!"

"This is not about the organization, it is about us! Right here, right now!" Wallace snapped. "How many of you were reluctant to attend, worried about if this would just be another meeting of talking and no action! Of wondering how you were going to live off of the paltry things we steal!"

There were many heads nodding in agreement and he continued. "The Rare Hunters are nothing more than a crippled mess, limping along. But we can move beyond that, my friends. We can finally live again, instead of hiding and cowering. Skeleton Knight's oath to give us our power back is as good as gold."

"So!? You may have been spellbound by this walking horror movie reject, Wallace!" Another Rare Hunter called. "But lets see some proof! You say he's trustworthy? That he can really help us? Or is it all talk?"

"Trust...?" Skeleton Knight tilted his head at the speaker. "It is a sore day indeed when any doubt the word of a knight."

"Yeah, well, most knights aren't zombies!"

"Duty and oaths are unbreakable, even by death." Metal ground against itself as the knight shifted. "And I would think that I, vouched for by your leader would be more trustworthy than even your own kind...who foolishly let a pair of Shadowchasers into the building."

The crowd nearly exploded with surprise and Fayte was already moving to draw _Tempest _when the shadows at her feet sprang up around her like a blanket. She grunted and strained, but her movements were sealed even as the shadows carried her into the air towards the stage. And out of the corner of her eye, she could see Tsukihime suffering the same fate.

All eyes were on the pair as Skeleton Knight maneuvered the pair onto the stage, still trapped in their bonds. "The vampire...and the succubus...how easily they slipped through your guard."

Several members seemed ready to protest, but the Knight's hard look silenced them. "You wanted a demonstration of trustworthiness, of my power...and so you shall receive."

The two Shadowchasers watched in trepidation as the miasma covering the floor erupted into black and violet, ethereal flames...

TTTTTTT

Kenshin and Tsubasa reflexively shielded their heads the windows of the warehouse across the street exploded in a shower of ethereal flames and magic. The spirit stared with wide-eyes at the now blazing building. "What the hell was that!?"

"Who cares-Fayte and Tsuki were still in there!" Tsubasa sprinted for the warehouse and drew his sword, Kenshin a step behind him.

"_Tsubasa! What are you doing!? Get back- you don't know what caused that explosion!" _Maria's voice crackled over his earpiece.

"I know, but our friends are-" Tsubasa skidded to a halt as the massive front door of the warehouse suddenly fell forwards, crashing to the ground with a horrible noise.

The interior of the warehouse was a sea of the purple and black fires. Blazing in their intensity, yet their was no waves of searing heat that should have been coming off of them. Instead, they simply roared so high they were nearly howling.

Tsubasa and Kenshin readied their weapons as Skeleton Knight stalked slowly out from the flames, trailing them like some sort of ragged cape. The human narrowed his eyes angrily. "Alright, Crypt Keeper, you got one chance. Kill the flames and tells us what happened to our friends or we'll take you down so hard your ancestors will feel it!"

"Skeleton Knight does not take orders from any but his gods, mortal." The knight rasped at him. "And your friends live, for now...but you probably will not." As he spoke, the Rare Hunters emerged from the flames behind him. Most of them had discarded their robes, were taller than normal. All of their eyes were black with gold irises and each one had apparently suddenly put on thirty or more pounds of muscles. "Kill them."

Tsubasa ducked the first punch as the charging Rare Hunters reached him and came up swinging, sending his opponent staggering in pain as the blade's tip cut open a line on his chest. The Shadowchaser slid around another attacker's blow and smashed a kick into the offender's side. He felt his foot bounce off the muscle, then a backhand landed his face and threw him off his feet.

He caught himself on his elbow, rolling out of the way of a stomp meant to cave his gut in. Springing to his feet, he gripped his blade steadily as a group of them began to circle around him. "What the hell are these guys on!? They're hitting like freight trains!"

"Tell me about it..." Kenshin grunted as she strained against a Rare Hunter's pipe locked with her staff. They pushed against one another and as the Hunter leered at her, she took a swift step back. The now unbalanced Hunter received a staff strike to the back of the head and pitched forwards as the spirit whirled amongst her other targets. Her staff was a blur as she hammered at heads and torso, hooking feet to trip up others.

Using the staff as a pole, she swung herself feet first into the barrel-chest of another Hunter and winced as she felt the shockwave ripple up her body. The Hunter, for his part, merely staggered a half-step from her blow. Even as she landed and back-flipped away to put some distance between them, she could see all of her opponents simply straightening. Even the one she'd nailed in the back of his head was standing up again, merely rubbing the injured spot slightly. "And they're taking hits like they're a freaking mountain!"

"Well, if they can take it and it dish it out...then let's serve them a dish they can't handle!" Tsubasa ghosted around a punch and lunged in, a howl from his target acknowledging the fact the sword as just sliced open his side. Without skipping a beat, the Shadowchaser jumped over a clumsy kick and hacked the weapon into the offending limb. A scream and second slash to the back and that man was down.

A punch smashed into his ear and he could already feeling it ringing as he reeled. Then strong hands seized him by the arms and pain erupted as he was slammed face-first into the concrete. He felt his sword fall from his grasp and then the arms holding him hurled him into. A scream that he realized was Kenshin's was all he got before the pair crashed together and then into the ground in a tangle of limbs.

Even as they pulled themselves apart, the Rare Hunters yelled in victory and charged in to deliver a final pummeling.

With a steady 'zip!' sound, the front row screamed in pain their knees suddenly gained fresh, bloody holes. They went down, tripping those behind and the group became a heap. Those that remained standing scattered as the sniper rounds drilled holes in their bodes and the concrete.

Tsubasa and Kenshin extracted themselves, just in time to see a group of D-Wheels roar out of the warehouse, two of them with cloaked forms draped over their backs. "Oh frick!"

The human threw a pair of fingers to his earpiece. "Rave! Gurren! Some of the Hunters are trying to get away on their bikes and they've got Tsuki and Fayte! They're heading right your way!"

"_What?! You guys were supposed to keep them contained!"_ Rave yelped back.

"Yeah, well, we didn't count on some Grim Reaper showing up suddenly and pimping the Rare Hunters up on magical steroids!" Tsubasa hurled himself to the side as he heard hoofbeats. He spared a glance after them just in time to see Skeleton Knight atop an equally skeletal mount, galloping in the opposite direction the Hunters had gone. "And is apparently playing chicken, too! Where the hell is he going?!"

"_I don't know, but run him down!"_ Maria's voice was as steady as the 'Zip! Zip! Zip!' of her weapon that kept nailing Hunter limbs or forcing to space themselves out. _"If he can do what he did to these guys to anyone, we've got a huge problem once he makes it to the residential district!"_

"She's right!" Kenshin gripped her staff in both hands, whirling full-circle to land a jaw-breaking strike on an approaching Hunter. It knocked his head to the side, but did little else beyond anger him. "Maria and I can keep these guys contained!"

"What?" Tsubasa stared at her in surprise. "Kenshin, they're clobbering both of us and-"

"Not for long, they aren't!" Kenshin produced a disc from her belt and slammed it home into her staff. Instantly, she was swallowed light.

TTTTTT

Inside the sphere, Kenshin steadied herself as her staff vanished form her grasp. A ring of light spun to life at her feet and rose up around her, replacing her street clothes with a skin-tight black bodysuit from the neck down. Her hair was cropped short in a military cut as a metallic arch appeared above her. Nearly a dozen slender robotic arms popped out of the arch, each of them clutching a bright metallic green piece of armor. Smoothly and efficiently, the heavy armor was set into place on her body. As the arms and arch retracted, she held her hands up above her head and a similarly-designed helmet with a golden-orange visor appeared there. Seizing it, she slammed it into place with a sharp 'click!'

Flexing her fingers, she formed a fist and punched the ground. A small crater erupted under her feet and she pulled a battle rifle from out of nowhere, nodding confidently. "The one-man army corp! Master Chief!"

TTTTTT

Kenshin emerged from her transformation bubble just in time to catch a powerful fist to the faceplate. It snapped her head back and the offending Rare Hunter lost his grin as she forcefully straightened against his fist and cracked her knuckles. "You have no idea much trouble you're in."

Her own punch threw her attacker back against his fellows and then she was smashing in among them, powerful blows sending them reeling. A wave of them all tried to tackle her and she caught them, digging her heels into the ground for more traction. "Hurry, Tsubasa!"

There was no response, but she heard the start of a motor and the peel of rubber behind her. "About time!" With a grunt and a mighty heave, she toppled the wave of Hunters back in the direction they had come. Even as they scattered and scrambled, Maria's sniper rounds were hammering away at their numbers as fast they could.

Though she knew they couldn't see her smiling face underneath her helmet, Kenshin smashed her fists together gleefully as the Hunters barreled towards her. "Five minutes on the clock...bet I finish with a minute to spare."

"_Fives bucks says you won't."_

"You're on!"

TTTTTT

Rave watched as the D-Wheeling Rare Hunters barreled towards her position up on an alley on a hill. Judging by the whine of their vehicles' engines, they were all putting the petal to the medal. And they still wouldn't be going fast enough. She snorted as they zipped past her and she caught a better glimpse of the vehicles. "Cheap second-hand pieces of junk..."

A touch of a button started her own D-Wheel and she squeezed the throttle, zipping out of the alley and arcing in a smooth turn before gunning the motor and zipping after her targets.

The two trailing ones might have seen her coming in their rearview mirrors, but were far too slow to react. As she moved between them, she held both of her hands and her eyes flashed like prisms. In flares of red light, the Twin Swords of Flashing Light-Tryce appeared in her grasp. Two low-arch slashes as she passed and she grinned as she saw the two unlucky riders spin out of control, front tires completely ruined. Stowing one on of the blades across her back, she poured the speed on.

This time, the Hunter was ready for her. Even as she zipped up so that she was just within reach of his rear tire, he slammed on the brake for a brief second. She had to jerk away and lean back as he attempted to clothesline her off her own bike. "Clever punk, aren't you?"

The Rare Hunter just grinned and revved up, pulling alongside her before arcing away and then wrenching right back towards. The bikes rattled as they collided again and again, more violently each time.

"Hey, watch the paint job!" Rave grit her teeth, yanking her bike away from the collision while at the same driving him back with a backhand slash. Flipping her grip on the weapon, she took a quick stab at him as they closed again, cursing as it merely slid between his arms and the bike. "Dammit!"

The Hunter laughed and stood partially on his bike, lashing out with a hard kick to the front of her frame. The laughter picked up as Rave yelped and spun out of control.

Then the laughter was gone, replaced with wide eyes as he saw Rave zip up and move in front of him, completely backwards. She grinned smugly at his expression. "I've been driving longer than you've been alive, hotshot."

A quick press of a button activated her bike's autopilot and then she _jumped _forward. It seemed to happen in slow-motion, Rave landing with impossible grace on the Hunter's handlebars as her sword dove through the metal and delicate circuitry. Even as the bike began to spark and the Hunter could hear the start of his own gasp of fear and surprise, she was leaping up and over him.

Then time snapped back and Rave felt Gurren's strong hand snare her hoodie and deposit her on the back of his own bike as the Hunter's sputtered out of control and sent him crashing into a ditch. "Thanks for the save."

"That was a wholly foolish and reckless thing to do, Rave." The golem admonished her.

"You only live once and it wasn't that reckless- I saw you coming. I knew you'd catch me."

"Your faith in such certainties is refreshing." Gurren told her dryly and sped up to catch the last two Hunters ahead of them. "Ideas on how to rescue our comrades?"

"Well, we can catch them even on your bike. The pieces of crap they're driving don't have the engine power to speed up anymore and if they keep pushing them, they'll rattle apart. We can let them drive themselves into the ground."

"And if they split up?"

Rave winced slightly. "Ooh, right, didn't think of that." Gripping Gurren's shoulder for support, she stood up and popped up a case on her belt. Pulling out a handful of Duel Monsters cards, she fanned them out in front of her and stared at them for a long moment. "I've got it!"

Snaring her chosen card in her teeth, she deposited the rest back into their case. Her eyes flashed like prisms and the card glowed. An ivory bow crafted to look like waves appeared in her hand, followed shortly by a glittering silver arrow. "Don't slow down, whatever you do."

"Shooting Star Bow-Ceal?" Gurren lifted a rocky eyebrow. "The odds for any shot at this speed are incredibly poor."

"Only if I'm aiming at something small." Rave nocked the arrow and drew the bowstring back near her ear. "Something big, however..."

She let fly, followed by a few more arrows. They hissed past the Rare Hunters, all colliding with a tree on the edge of the sidewalk. The arrows exploded sharply, tearing out great hunks of the tree's trunk and with a loud snapping noise, it began to teeter over into the street. "Yes!"

Then she wilted as the Hunters simply zoomed underneath the tree before gravity decided to pull it down. "No!"

"It is not over yet. Down, please." Gurren squeezed a few more MPH out of his bike as Rave crouched and they barreled for the tree. A massive hand caught the trunk a moment before they crashed into it and he hoisted it above his head. "Drive, please."

"Wait, what are you- ack!" Rave threw herself around his massive body to grab the handlebars as the golem stood up and lifted the tree with both hands. Giving a slight grunt of exertion, he hurled the tree as hard as he could like a discus.

It spun through the air, crashing down between two parked cars in front of the Hunters. Tires screeched as both slammed on their brakes, desperately skidding to a halt just before a fatal impact.

The _Heavy Metal _halted with much more grace, Rave leaping free even as she produced another Twin Sword of Flashing Light and diving straight for the surprised Hunters.

TTTTTTT

The clash of steel drowned out the sound of a motor and hooves as Tsubasa parried another blow from Skeleton Knight, swearing as the hammer-like force behind it nearly ripped his blade from his hands. He ducked another strike and drove his blade for the horse the Knight was riding. But the demonic steed snorted as the blade glanced off its armor, slamming its bulk into the Shadowchaser and sending him swerving wildly.

"God dammit...!" Tsubasa watched Skeleton Knight pull ahead of him as he had to stow his sword to regain the use of both hands and his D-Wheel. "This guy's being a real jerk to capture!"

_(He is a knight. He likely has hundreds of years more of mounted combat experience more than you.) _Neo appeared behind Tsubasa, sitting side-sadle on the D-Wheel. (_Not to mention, his mount is another opponent altogether and it puts Skeleton Knight much higher than you, making it easier for him to attack.)_

"You know, for a knight who's made me his squire, you have a bad habit of listening my opponent's advantages _after_ they've knocked me around with them!" Tsubasa shot over his shoulder while squeezing the throttle to catch up to his target yet again. "How about telling me what _I _got over _him_ for a change?"

Neo smirked. (_You have me.)_

"Yeah, well, unless you can become solid, I-" Tsubasa broke off, then grinned as he realized what his partner meant. "Right, right...okay, short-range portal. Pop me out right in front of him."

(_Difficult while moving...but I will.)_ Neo raised an eyebrow. (_But you realize that what you are intending to do at this speed will be lethal for a human, right?)_

"That's why I'm counting on you to use another portal to catch me." Tsubasa gripped his bike's handles determinedly. "Besides, the Springweather family luck hasn't failed me yet."

(_No reason to tempt it to, then.)_ But the knight complied, drawing his sword and standing. With a rapid slash, the air in front of them split open into a swirling blue portal that they vanished into it.

Skeleton Knight felt the surge of magic behind him, but had no time to reaction as the portal opened up right in from him, spitting out Tsubasa's D-Wheel crossways across his path.

The dark knight's sword was already swinging up to knock the vehicle of his path as Tsubasa slammed on his brakes, letting his momentum throw himself over the handlebars into another portal. The demonic horse veered to the side as the sword tore into the underside of the D-Wheel, but it was too little, too late. Horse, rider and D-Wheel went down in a screeching of animal fear and metal.

Tsubasa was spat out of the portal a few yards, catching himself before he crashed into the concrete and rolling to shed his momentum. Coming to his feet, he pumped a fist in the air as he saw the pile slid to halt against a street lamp. "Yes!"

"Clever, boy..." Skeleton Knight pulled himself free of the mess with surprising ease, his broken and twisted mount simply vanishing in a burst of black fire. Gripping his weapon and shield, he glowered at the Shadowchaser. "But stupid."

"I got you to stop, didn't I?" Tsubasa brought his blade up with an easy smirk. "And now it's just you and me."

"And very soon- just me!" Skeleton's backhand blow sheared through the street lamp like it was butter. Even as Tsubasa danced to the side to avoid it, he had crossed the distance between them and slammed into the man with his shield so hard it threw the Shadowchaser off his feet.

Tsubasa caught himself as he landed, his blade coming up just in time to catch a hammer-like blow from the knight. He grit his teeth as their weapons ground against one another. "For a guy with no...muscles...you've got some power behind you..."

"My faith gives me strength, a strength you could not understand. And so does my experience." Skeleton Knight suddenly put forth more effort, his weapon shearing partway through Tsubasa's. Then the shield's edge tore into his side, prompting a tight scream of pain.

Seizing the advantage, the knight disarmed Tsubasa deftly and smashed him across the face with the flat of the shield before kicking him back hard against a building. Tsubasa groaned and took a pained step before slumping limply, out cold.

"A brave effort to fight me alone, boy. But all the brave and noble ever do is die young." Skeleton Knight advanced on his unconscious opponent...only for a half-dozen rounds to smash into his armor and envelope him in fire and smoke.

He emerged from the cloud just in time to see a blur of motion snatch Tsubasa away from in front of him. A rasping sigh at the loss of his prey escaped him as he turned to face down the street. "Magical bullets...I thought your vampire was the only one possessing such things."

"No reason she wouldn't share once in a while." Maria carefully deposited Tsubasa on the ground, then tossed her rifle away. A moment later, her black and pink parasol was in her hands and a moment after that, _Chivalry's _rapier and shield were in her hands and mounted on her wrist, respectively.

"Interesting...it has been awhile since I fought another shield and sword warrior..." The knight watched as Maria readied herself and he did the same. "Will you last longer than your comrade, then?"

"I'll do more than that, I'll take you down." Maria promised and her eyes flashed with a rainbow of colors.

Skeleton Knight felt the same colors flare to light around him, but ignored them. "My faith protects me from your illusions, fox."

"So it does..." Maria narrowed her still-glowing eyes slightly and then suddenly her form distorted sharply, vanishing into the air. "Good thing everything I do doesn't have to work straight on you."

"Invisibility..." The knight braced himself, but was still unprepared as her flurry of blows rained down from all sides, striking and glancing against his armor even as he twisted and spun to try and defend himself. "Your weak blows can't hurt me!"

The barrage never ceased and he lashed out blindly with his own weapon, but felt it only cut the air. Then there was a _'click!'_ sound and red erupted in front of him as Maria landed the full force of her rapier's powered charge on him. There just a moment to realize this, then all that energy exploded and sent him hurtling backward into an alley.

Despite the force of the blow, the Knight remained on his feet as he skidded to a halt. He caught sight of a now-blue weapon hurtling towards and threw up his shield. The piece of metal shrieked in protest as an impossible number of slashes landed on it in a single instant before it flew apart into neatly sliced pieces.

Without his shield in the way, Maria's lightning strikes rained down upon him even as his own desperate counter-attacks failed to find her invisible form. Then he felt the rapier glance of his chestplate at the wrong angle, sliding right between his ribs.

Maria's invisibility failed as he seized the weapon and she had to hurl herself backwards, his arm-severing blow barely deflected by her shield. Had he a face, the knight would have been sneering at her as he snapped the handle off the rapier with a sharp twist, both pieces clattering to the ground. "Stabbing someone without flesh isn't a very bright idea..."

"Tch..." Maria simply leveled her shield arm at him and reached with her free hand, tapping something. Impossibly, her shield was launched forward impossibly fast.

In the narrow space of the alley, there wasn't anywhere to move to and the Knight felt the spinning shield smash into his arm, sending his sword flying away. It was followed shortly by the feeling of Maria's roundhouse kick crashing into his face and staggering him.

A growl escaped him as she unleashed a barrage of kicks. They hammered at his armor painlessly, but relentlessly. A sharp lunge for her only resulted in the woman dropping to her hands and spinning on them to slam a one-two combination across his face. Then she was hand-springing away to avoid his counters. "Damn you..."

"I've been damned once. It wasn't much fun." Maria landed easily on her feet, her dress fluttering around her as she sprinted for him, vaulting off a dumpster and then a wall to land a powerful kick that sent him skidding backwards. She kept up her momentum, unleashing a series of kicks that snapped his knees straight, then hooked behind one his legs to yank him off-balance.

As he stumbled, she vaulted off his form and he lifted his head just in time to see her coming whirling down in a bicycle kick that hammered his body into the concrete so hard it cratered.

A bellow of anger escaped him as she skipped back and even as he rose to his feet, she was whirling and twisting to rain more kicks on him. With a snarl, fire erupted in his hands and the blasts forced her back- only for her to impossibly speed up and sprint under them.

To his further surprise, she didn't attempt another kick, but seized his body in her arms and with a deft foot swept to knock him off balance, hoisted him into the air. "What are you-"

TTTTTT

"Did Maria just suplex a fricking demon!?" Rave whistled appreciatively at the sight. "Gurren, what have you been teaching the woman?"

"It's not me. Muy Thai does not focus extensively on moves like that." Gurren rumbled. "Maria's fighting style relies on combos to make up for her lack of power, but that is not something I can teach her."

"Then who's-" Rave broke off and both glanced behind them.

Tsukihime was kneeling over Tsubasa's form, her hands extended and glowing with healing magic. At her compatriots looks, she huffed. "Hey, seducing someone isn't always stripping and shaking. Especially for some non-humans. They can require a different form of persuasion..."

"She'll be happy to educate you all on that later." Fayte said crisply and glanced down at her wife. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Yes." Tsukihime replied, moving her hands slowly up and down his body. "The wound in his side wasn't deep and that knight just got lucky knocking him out."

"I'll say, his head's harder than a rock..." Kenshin, her transformation having timed out, gripped her staff and pointed across the street. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get in there and take the guy do-"

The word died on her lips as suddenly both Maria and Skeleton Knight were swallowed by black and violet shadows and flame. "What the-!? Shadow Game!? No fair! I wanted to beat him up!"

"Looks like that honor goes to Maria..." Gurren folded his arms across his chest. "So now what?"

"We wait." Fayte eyed the crackling sphere of dark magic. "And trust in our friend."

TTTTTTT

"So what's this? The fact that you're losing make you want to cheat?" Maria was unconcerned by the Shadow Game surrounding them, though privately she was grateful for the reprieve. Her stamina wasn't going to last forever.

"Hardly. But you have interested me, fox. Enough so that I have decided to make you serve my cause. And while I could kill and resurrect you in service to my gods, I don't want to deal with your comrades at the same time." Skeleton Knight held out his right arm, a bone-duel disk appearing there in a flare of violet fire. "So I propose this-winner decides the fate of the defeated."

"Fine by me." Maria held up her own arm and wasn't surprised to find that a duel disk was already there, her deck in place. She ran her thumb up her deck, enabling her to pull a slender portion off of the top. She fanned them out to reveal that their number was five. "So can I expect chivalry from, knight, or do you merely wear that appellation as a title only?" (MLP: 8000)

"I am a knight and regard all who stand against my crusade as my enemy, woman. Such as yourself." The dead warrior pulled his cards carefully from his disk one after another. "And as such, the first turn in this duel is mine." (SKLP: 8000)

He grabbed a card from his hand and slid it into his disk, the air in front of him wavering as a continuous spell card appeared. "The Gathering Horde is an interesting card-once per turn, I may move one Darkspawn monster from my Deck to my Hand."

A card slid out of his disk and he caught it, tucking it amongst the other five held. "I cannot summon my selected monster, but I have others from which to choose from. Like my Darkspawn- Hurlock."

The shadows surrounding the pair peeled away nearby, spitting out a disturbing monster. It was humanoid, but its skin was either so pale as to be sickly or splattered and blotched with corruption and disease. It wore ragged rust armor and made no sound resembling speech, only a grunting cry of war. (1900/0)

Maria frowned at the new monster. It's name sounded familiar to her, but it mattered little in the face of that horrendous appearance. "Fetid creature..."

"As a bringer of corruption and despoiler, I'm sure it would think the same of you if it were capable of such level of thought." Skeleton Knight slid a card into his disk and it appeared behind his monster. "This face-down card will end my turn."

"Draw." Maria snapped the card up and then slapped it down onto her disk. "I summon Bulb Dino to the field in attack mode!"

What appeared on her field was just as interesting as the Hurlock, though in the opposite direction. It was a small, blue-gray skinned creature with darker patches scattered about and four short stubby legs And o its back was a large green flower bulb though its weight did little to bother the little dinosaur-creature. (800/800)

Skeleton Knight stared at it, though exactly what he was thinking was useless to his lack of expression. His tone, however, could probably have fit some definition of 'incredulous.' "Is that a...Bulbasaur?"

"Why would you choose to focus on that?"

His gaze moved to Maria. "What?"

"You just converted a bunch of low-class card thieves into knights for your crusade, are fighting a kyubi in a Shadow Game to the death and apparently are some kind of living knight to some dead deities. Yet you remark on the fact my monster is a pop culture reference." Maria giggled behind her hand as his stance shifted, Skeleton Knight obviously glaring at her right now. "Awww, did I wreck the poor knight's villain cred? Does this mean the other villains won't let you into their clubhouse? Or do you have to turn in your lucky decoder ring?"

She didn't wait for him to answer, already sliding a card into her disk. "If all of that didn't make you loose out on your membership card, the thrashing I'm going to give you in this duel will. By discarding a card, my Bulb Dino can poison one of your monsters and strip it of four hundred points in both stats! _Poison Powder!_"

The small creature nodded and a faint blue powder began to waft from its bulb. The Hurlock was caught up in a cloud of it and it rattled out a noise of pain as its already twisted body faded to ashen-gray and it slumped forward limply. (1900/0-1500/0)

"And don't bother commenting how much stronger your monster is, because I'm not going to attack you." A pair of cards flashed into existence behind the Bulb Dino. "These should keep you guessing. End of turn."

"Draw." Skeleton Knight plucked the card free and then his The Gathering Horde card glowed. "As before, I add another Darkspawn monster to my hand."

Catching the new card, he pointed at Hurlock and it vanished. What replaced it was what Maria assumed to be another Hurlock, but it was a head taller than the previous one and wore a full set of the rusted and warped armor that was complete with a face-covering helm that wouldn't have been out of place in a horror film. It wielded a pitted and blood-stained double-headed axe that it raised over its head with a bellowing war cry. (2200/0)

Then Maria's eyes went wide as two more Hurlocks stepped out of the shadow to join the newcomer and add their own blood-thirsty battle cry. "What on earth did you just do?!" (1900/0x2)

"Darkspawn- Hurlock Alpha, when it is summoned, lets me discard all other Hurlock monsters I have in my hand. And when an ordinary Hurlock is discarded for the effect of a Darkspawn monster, it generates one token of itself.." Skeleton Knight rasped out a chuckle at the Shadowchaser's surprised expression. (1900-x2)

The tokens roared as a red outline flared to life around them and without waiting for an order, the one on the left charged with its blade held high. "I don't know what you were planning to achieve with that discard last turn, but it will be fruitless!"

"Maybe, but my set cards are not!" One of the flipped up and the charging Hurlock ran straight into a swirling portal of reality that immediately spat him back out on his owner's field. "Negate Attack does exactly what it says."

"Very well..." Skeleton Knight glanced over his hand and then nodded in her direction. "I end my turn."

Maria drew and then snapped her fingers, her other set card flipping up. "Call of the Haunted special summons one monster from my graveyard. Come on out, Happy Cute!"

The trap spat out a ray of light, which resolved into an adorable little creature. Smaller than even the Petal Dino, it was 'dressed' in half of an egg shell that had red and blue triangles decorating it. A small ring of tiny spikes circled its head and it gave a cute yawn as it stood up. Catching sight of Maria, it made a happy noise and waved its stubby arms at her, obviously wanting to be picked up. (400/300)

"Aww, don't be afraid..." Maria soothed it as Happy Cute suddenly realized there was a scary group of monsters on the field. It let out a bawling wail and scurried to hide out under the poofiness of her dress. "We'll deal with them shortly, you'll see. First, I'll need to summon Ugly Fish Red in attack mode, though."

She slapped a card down onto her disk and this time a puddle of water appeared next to her Dino. A moment later, a red-scaled whiskered fish rose up out of it partway. It glared at the opposing monsters and attempted to be intimidating...by splashing up and down uselessly. (0/0)

Skeleton Knight studied the three monsters and despite his superior field, almost looked worried at what she had arrayed. "..."

It didn't go unnoticed by Maria, who smiled. "You know what Pokemon are, so you must that they can evolve. But first, I need some more cards. So my Magic Planter spell will get rid of my Call of the Haunted and let me draw twice." Her trap card dissolved away as she snapped up two more cards from her deck.

Then a spell card appeared on her field, its picture showing an oscillating sphere of rainbow energy in the foreground and behind it, silhouettes of various figures apparently changing into different forms. "Marvel Catalyst is the key card of my deck! A miracle that generates an even greater miracle! So even my poor Ugly Fish Red can have its true potential unlocked..."

The Marvel Catalyst card transformed into the sphere on its picture and it sank into the flopping red fish. It glowed with a white light and began to grow rapidly, its shaping changing impossibly fast. Then the light faded, revealing a massive serpent-like creature with three great fins on its back. Each move of its powerful body caused its blue-and-gold scales to ripple with muscle and its let out an angry roar with an expression of pure rage and bloodlust in its eyes. "...and become something truly fearsome! Atrocious Horror! Destroy his monsters! _Dragon Rage!" _(2500/0)

Atrocious Horror's eyes flashed red as it wound its way forwards, a jet of flame blazing out of its mouth. It swept the blast across the field, incinerating the Hurlocks into ash and leaving blackened ground in its wake. Skeleton Knight was unbothered by the heat or the attack's intensity, his set card flipping up. "The Endless Horde is a continuous trap card who's effect will come into play during the End Phase." (SKLP: 6500)

He watched as Atrocious Horror maneuvered back to Maria's field, its massive bulk stretching out behind its master while it leaned down enough for her to stroke its head. Its rage seemed spent as it made a pleased rumbling noise. "I see...it goes to defense when it attacks..."

"She does and she can't change that position, just like a Goblin Attack Force. But she did a good job, didn't you?" Maria rubbed it on the nose and then turned her attention back to Skeleton Knight. "And now its left you wide open! Go! _Vine Whip!_"

Vines emerged from underneath the bulb on her Petal Dino and whipped towards the knight at dangerous speeds. Then the Petal Dino made a noise of surprise as suddenly, a strange clock-work creature appeared in front of its target. The vines entangled the newcomer, which merely tolled the bell that comprised up most of its body and caused Maria to frown. "Battle Fader..." (0/0)

Happy Cute poked its head out curiously from underneath Maria's dress as Bulb Dino's vines untangled themselves from the Battle Fader. The Shadowchaser just smiled down at it. "Don't worry, we'll get it next time. I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"And during the End Phase, the effect of the Endless Horde activates." Skeleton Knight's trap began to glow. "For each destroyed Darkspawn that was sent to the graveyard, I can call out a Grunt token of a Darkspawn breed of my choice. I'll chose to summon one Genlock Grunt Token."

His new monster had the same sickly, twisted skin and rusted kind of armor that the Hurlock. But it was barely half of the size of the other and instead of a sword, wielded a short mace and small shield. (1400/0)

Skeleton Knight drew for his turn. "I use the effect of The Gathering Horde." Catching the card his deck slid out for him, he held up a spell card. "Allure of Darkness. Now I draw twice and then banish a dark monster if I have one. Obviously, I will."

Drawing, he slapped down a monster card. "I summon Genlock Rogue Archer." Like his Token, the new monster was a short and stout beast of a being. True to his name, he wielded a twisted bow and barbed arrows. (1400/0)

With a low growl, a fresh Genlock Grunt Token stomped out of the darkness to join the other two. "Darkspawn Horde lets me summon out one Token of my choice and now that I have them, my Archer's ability becomes quite potent." He waved an arm towards his three creatures and the two Grunts suddenly armed themselves with bows and arrows. "By halving their attack points, all Genlock monsters may attack you directly." (1400-700/0x3)

Maria cried out as the arrows pierced her arm and chest, stumbling in pain even as they faded away. Despite such, the phantom wounds throbbed as if they were real and she took a deep breath to help cope with the pain. "You ruin my dress and I'll kill you..." (MLP: 5900)

"I am already dead." Skeleton Knight slid a card into his disk. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" Maria did so with a focused look in her eyes. His monsters had overpowered all of hers and yet he had chosen to avoid the smart strategy and remove them to instead of focusing on damaging her. (_That means he's definitely up to something...)_

"I activate Advance Draw, offering my level eight Atrocious Horror to draw two cards!" The massive monster faded away as the Shadowchaser snapped up two more cards. "Then the continuous spell card Battle Training Facility! Now I can give my Cute monsters some experience and have them grow up some!"

Her little Marvel skipped out onto the playing field and put on probably what it assumed to be a stern face. Like the Ugly Red Fish before it, it began to glow and change shape. The glow faded to reveal a more cherub-like body. The eggshell was gone, its pattern have become part of its body. It had a slender neck and small, cute wings. And still attempted to look fierce. "Happy Cute has evolved to become Fortune Adorable!" (1500/1500)

Fortune Adorable suddenly floated its way over to Maria, specks of glowing blue dust falling from it. She smiled and held out her hand, the dust collecting there to transform into a Duel Monsters card. "When Special Summoned, Fortune Adorable adds one Marvel Catalyst from my deck or graveyard to my hand. And then I can reveal that card for its second effect, letting me draw one card."

An image of her key spell card appeared behind her as and Fortune Adorable glowed slightly as she drew. "Then I'll use my Marvel Catalyst, targeting my Bulb Dino!"

Unlike the previous two Marvel monsters, the Dino didn't radically change shape. Its form grew more powerful-looking and larger, while the bulb split open halfway to reveal a pink flower. "My Petal Dino not only has got some more points, but its effect is more powerful. I don't need to discard, but all of your monsters lose four hundred points! _Poison Powder!"_ (1600/1600)

The flower shook, causing a dark blue powder to fill the air. Skeleton Knight watched impassively his Genlocks began to gag, the blotches on their skin expanding and becoming far more sickly-looking. Their weapons clattered to the ground as they staggered in pain. (1400-1000x3)

"Let's go! _Razor Leaf!_" Petal Dino made a noise of assent and braced itself as leaves hurled from its flower to hiss across the field and slice the Genlock Rogue Archer to ribbons. (SKLP: 6100)

"_Metronome!_" Fortune Adorable began to wave its stubby arms back and forth rhythmically. A blue shine covered them and it sped up for a moment before it stopped. There was a blue flash, followed by a long flat silence...and then an anvil fell from the sky crushing the Genlock into pixels. Maria giggled. "I wondered who programmed the odds of that happening..." (SKLP: 5700)

"I care not, for it will not be happening again. Reveal continuous trap card- Blight Corruption!" The card flipped up, its picture revealing a man standing in a twisted, mutated landscape. He was screaming as his skin was beginning to mottle with darkness, apparently turning him into a Darkspawn. "By destroying my monster, you have sealed your monster's fate."

Maria gasped as her Petal Dino was suddenly pulled over to Skeleton Knight's field. Its skin became patchy and blackened, fangs sprouting from its maw. The flower on its back withered and twisted, sickly and rotten. Red flashed in its eyes as it snarled at her. "My monster-"

"-is now infected by the taint of the Darkspawn and joined the horde." Skeleton Knight finished for her. "Its powers are sealed, however and it will die in three turns. But in exchange, it has become a berserker to ravage all within its sight." The Dino roared again as three black motes of light appeared above the trap card. (1600/1600-3200/0)

Maria stared at the scene for a moment and then narrowed her eyes, red flashing through them briefly. "No one screws around with my team like that..."

"You will have to wait to spend your anger, since it seems to be you have no more moves for this turn." Skeleton Knight watched her jerk her head in a nod. "During your End Phase, the effect of The Endless Horde generates me a new Hurlock Grunt token." With a guttural noise, a Hurlock lumbered out of the darkness to stand alongside Petal Dino and Battle Fader. (1900/0)

He drew for his turn. "Recurring Nightmare allows me to add two Dark monster with zero defense points from my graveyard and place them into my hand. I choose a Hurlock and Hurlock Alpha." The two named cards slid out of his graveyard and he picked them up. "And now the effect of The Gathering Horde adds another Darkspawn monster to my hand."

A card was slapped onto his disk and one of his Hurlocks reappeared alongside its brethren. But its reunion was short-lived as suddenly Petal Dino let out a hungry roar. Nearly a score of twisted vines erupted from its flower to seize its fellow Darkspawn, which were promptly ripped apart violently.

Maria stared in horror as the corrupted Marvel crammed the pieces into mouth eagerly, devouring them as fast as it could. "Oh dear god..."

Skeleton Knight remained silent as the Marvel began to shudder and expand, changing drastically. Its flesh became more more mottled and broken as it swelled and swelled in size to become wholly unrecognizable as it what it originally was. The mass kept growing, tree-trunk thick tentacles sprouting free.

With a horrible scream of twisted pleasure, the top part of the flesh peeled away to reveal a bloated humanoid face and a row of sagging, bloated teats. Black ichor dribbled out of the creature's fanged mouth and stubby, black-claws scrabbling for something more to eat. "May I present to you The Broodmother?" (2500/3000)

Maria looked a little sick, Fortune Adorable not fairing much better. "You horrible, disgusting, beast of a being...!"

"Now, now, we cannot all be as pretty as you. But the Broodmother does try so hard- she has such a glow about her..." Skeleton Knight rattled out a laugh as Maria glared at him. "Giving birth to an endless horde does that to a woman!"

He pointed at his new monster. "And her ability is very special, thanks to that. Once per turn, I can banish any Darkspawn monster I desire from my deck, save one in particular, and generate a token."

A card slid free of his deck and then dissolved away into darkness. As it did, an enraged bellow filled the air as a monster stormed free of the shadows. Covered in a ghastly purple skin, with a pair of horns curving back from its forehead, nearly as tall as the Broodmother and packed with power, it was an intimidating sight. "I banished my Darkspawn- Ogre and got a Darkspawn Ogre Token from it." (2500/0)

"Twenty-five hundred..." Maria's eyes widend as she realized that if he banished _any_ Darkspawn-Ogre class monster, he'd get one of those tokens. Then a scream caught her attention and she snapped her gaze over just in time to see tentacles seize her only monster and drag it underground. "Fortune Adorable!" (MLP: 4900)

"My Broodmother was hungry..." Skeleton Knight pointed at her. "And my Ogre is angry! Crush her!" With a roar, the giant creature lumbered for her.

"Reverse card open- K.O. Replacement! This lets me Special Summon a level four or lower Marvel from my deck because you destroyed one in battle!" The trap card flipped up, spitting out a curious creature. It was a short little thing, its white body resembling a little dress while the top of his head was covered by a green hat of sorts, save for a little red horn poking free. "And Psychic Heart can negate one attack per turn!" (800/800)

The little Marvel shrieked in fear as it saw the ogre charging for it and its horn glowed, generating a glass-like barrier that caught the Darkspawn's charge. It roared and slammed it against it several times, but it didn't break. Instead, it flashed with enough force to send the ogre stumbling back to its owner's field, leaving both Psychic Heart and Maria to breath a sigh of relief.

"Very well, you survive for this turn..." Skeleton Knight watched his Ogre regain its footing, while the Broodmother warbled angrily. "Take your move, Shadowchaser."

Maria drew sharply and flicked her eyes at the card before slamming it into her disk without a moment's hesitation. "I activate the spell card Miracle Prayers! Now I can add all Miracle Catalysts in my graveyard to my hand, but for each one I use this turn, I must pay one thousand life points!"

She grabbed the two cards as they slid out of her graveyard and held them up. They both began to shine, illuminating her field in brilliant white light. "But for a miracle, the cost can never be too high! Evolve, Psychic Heart and grant me a miracle!" (MLP: 2900)

The small Marvel glowed itself and then was lost entirely in the light. When it cleared, it had become far more than it originally had been. It was now a foot taller than its master, its white body slender and looking much more fitting as the same style of gown Maria wore. Then, reed-like green arms tensed as it eyed the monsters across the field fiercely. "And now Psychic Heart has become my mighty Psychic Guardian! Wreck that ugly Broodmother! _Psychic!_" (3200/3200)

The Marvel monster glowed violet as the winds around it began to whip before erupting into a torrent of psychic energy that shot across the field. A second before it could impact, however, it suddenly careened sideways and smashed into the long-forgotten Battle Fader. "No!"

"Yes." Skeleton Knight gestured to his field and then now face-up trap card. "Shift redirected your attack."

Maria growled and glanced her scant remaining hand cards. "End turn."

The knight drew and stared at the card, pondering it for a moment. Then he slid it into his disk. "Spellbook Inside the Pot allows us both to draw three cards."

They did so, and then another card slid out of his deck, dissolving away into darkness as another other Ogre token lumbered out of the darkness. "This battle today and this duel have been most rewarding, Shadowchaser...but it is time that I end this."

Darkness swallowed his three monsters suddenly, leaving his field bare. But it only lasted a second as suddenly a tongue of flame erupted skywards behind him. With a tremendous roar, a titanic scaled form appeared out of the nothingness behind him. It was so massive that Maria couldn't see more than the front half, but that was more than enough to see the heavy scales, jagged fangs and powerful wings. (4000/4000)

She braced herself, seizing her hat in one hand as the monster roared, the action causing her clothing to ripple and flap. "What...kind of dragon is that?!"

"The Archdemon. An old god touched by the Corruption, now the leader of the Darkspawn." Skeleton Knight dropped a card into his graveyard. "By discarding a Darkspawn monster, The Archdemon deals you its attack points in damage. Feel the wrath of god!"

Fire poured from The Archdemon's mouth in a punishing blast that seared the air as it hurtled towards Maria. A blur of blue intercepted it as Psychic Guardian teleported in front of it, its eyes glowing like prisms as the flames smashed into a barrier that hadn't been there a moment before. "My Guardian's power can negate effect damage as well as attacks!"

"Then we'll see what an attack does!" The Archdemon surged forwards, its claw scraping off the barrier as well. But the force behind it was enough to shatter it, hurling Psychic Guardian to the ground so hard it left a small furrow as it slid past Maria. "Your life points-"

"-are safe. Psychic Guardian can negate more than one instance of attack per turn." Maria watched as her monster teleported itself back in front of her, looking a bit worse for the wear, but determined. "It will give its life to protect me. Will yours?"

Skeleton didn't bother to respond, merely plugging a card into his disk. "I end my turn."

Maria drew and a sly grin appeared on her face. "You want to play with our aces, Skeleton Knight? Then allow me to oblige! First, Monster Reborn returns Atrocious Horror to play!" Water fountained onto her field and the powerful sea serpent slithered free.

"Then Instant Fusion lets me bring out my level five Genome Fire from my Extra Deck!" Fire burst into life nearby, then resolved into a slender fox-like creature with red and yellow fur and the size of a medium dog. It barked fiercely at the Archdemon. "And now you'll get to met the strongest Marvel of them all! One I can only summon by tributing three Marvel Fusion monsters! Come forth, Psychic Superior!"

Her three monsters all faded out of sight. Then blue light flashed in front of her as a figure teleported in. They had a human-like frame, though it was colored gray everywhere except for a purple underbelly that lead to a long tail of the same shade. It floated above the ground by a few inches silently, an imposing blue aura surrounding it as it studied the Archdemon and Skeleton Knight with arrogance and not a hint of fear. (4000/4000)

"Once per turn, Psychic Superior lets me send a Marvel Fusion to my graveyard from the Extra Deck and in return, it gains that monster's power! So by sending my Shade Rock, I can give Psychic Superior that monster's immunity to death in battle!" Dropping the card into her graveyard, she pointed at the Archdemon. "Your so-called god falls now! _PSYSTRIKE!"_

Psychic Superior's glow intensified, little orbs of blue energy being drawn into its body. Soon it was blazing with and it cupped its hands in front of it. Every scrap of blue energy poured into a sphere at the end of its arms. The air shook as the Marvel monster unleashed a meter wide beam that devoured the air in front of it, which was so bright that Maria had to shield her eyes. She heard the dragon roar and then the scream of flame and energy meeting.

When she lowered her hand, her eyes widened. She could see the now headless corpse of the Archdemon falling backwards, dissolving away into nothingness. And above it, a gaping hole in the dome surrounding them. The sharp blue of the daytime sky was a hard contrast and almost unbelievable, even as bits and pieces of the edge of hole began to cave in. "Did I...break a Shadow Game!?"

"Hardly, Fox..." Her gaze snapped down to Skeleton Knight. He was clutching at his chest, a shadowy miasma leaking from various parts of his body. "It seems...I have overexerted myself today...so we'll have to call this one a draw."

"What? You can't just ignore a Shadow Game! It can't be shut off until a winner is declared! You're-" Maria started as suddenly, the dark shadows of the dome surrounding them began to pour towards Skeleton Knight.

"I worship a different darkness, Shadowchaser. One that surpasses the shadows of Egypt and Zorc, of even the Leviathan! I can do whatever my gods see fit to allow me. And they allow me this power!" Skeleton Knight's form surged with dark energy and Maria screamed as it all exploded, blinding her and throwing her backwards.

"Maria!" Rave's voice outpaced the psychic's arms by a small margin as she caught the other woman in before she crashed into the ground. "Are you alright? What happened!?"

"I'm okay, but my last attack...did something to that Shadow Game. I don't know what it was..." Maria stood, steadying herself. The rest of the team was gathered around her protectively.

"We saw the beam of light." Tsukihime frowned. "I was old when humanity was young and let me tell you, there's nothing I've ever seen that could ever do that. Not unless you've got a God Card we don't know about?"

"What? Mewtwo? No, he's not. Just a card-" Maria and the others all turned to face the other end of the alley as lighting and thunder boomed.

"Shadowchasers!" Skeleton Knight was atop his steed once again and to their surprise, the Rare Hunters that they had been fighting surrounded him once again. Shadows danced around them and it was easy to see that the thunder and lightning were caused by the crackling, thunderstorm-like portal behind them all. "You have fought well today! I salute your valor and courage!"

He drew his sword and leveled it at them. "But know this- I am the Skeleton Knight and in the name of my gods, I declare that there will be war between us! Now I have Crusaders to stand with me and today, I have taken your measure! And found it wanting!"

His blade stabbed at the sky and the portal surged violently, the fire growing more and more intense around them. "This city of Backwater will _burn_ to ashes and you along with it!"

"Not a chance in hell!" Rave and Fayte lead the charge, already drawing their weapons. But the portal behind newly-dubbed Crusaders and their master seemed to swallow them all before vanishing into a single pinprick of nothingness. But Skeleton Knight's voice still echoed.

"You have been warned, Shadowchasers! Soon, the shadows of my masters will engulf the Earth and all you hold dear will lie in ruins! Your world is now _over_!"

TTTTTTTT

A/N: _Well, I hope that was suitably intriguing to all of my readers. Or at the very, least you enjoyed it. This is a momentous occasion for me, as I start the largest piece of writing I ever done up to this point and certainly my largest piece of fanfiction._

_Questions, comments or concerns should be left in the reviews section, as even reviews offering criticism inspire me to do better. ^^_

_The Skeleton Knight has declared the city of Backwater, Nebraska, to be the sight of his last crusade and the Shadowchasers who live there as his enemies...but what kind of place is Backwater for such an enemy to target it? Well, even with Skeleton Knight's dire warning and show of power looming over them, the team still has to deal with the everything else that goes on around their crazy home, too._

_If you thought the Backwater Shadowchasers were a crazy bunch, just wait till you meet the people they protect..._

_Next time: All The World's A Dueling Stage!_

Secret Life of Characters #8: _Maria Temorline_

"_Don't worry- there's nothing special about my tricks. It's all in your head...heehehehehe..." _

Maria was found as a wailing little baby at the doorstep of the Temorline family and the couple, unable to have children of their own, happily adopted the little girl. Who cared if she occassionally sprouted fox ears or tails or created her own puppet shows out of thin air?

For the most, Maria grew up like any child of rich parents. She had everything she could ever want, though her parents had earned their wealth rather than inherit it and they made sure to instill the value of hard work in their daughter, whether she wanted to or not. So from a young age, Maria was as self-sufficient as a child of her age could be.

Her parents are Awares, this trait coming from the fact David Temorline was descended from Sir Victor Temorline, a Shadowchaser during the 18th century, and Elizabeth Moonlotus, the elven princess that Victor married. They knew off the bat that their daughter was different, even from most other Shadowkind. Her ability to cast illusions and alter her appearance were definitely not standard and even Jalal and Elizabeth could not readily identify what Maria was. But it mattered little to the two happy parents- Maria was their daughter and that was that.

Until the Pleasureland Incident.

During the events of the island of nightmares, Maria was forced to tap into her own inner nature and unleash the beast inside. It was then she discovered she was Kyubi, a powerful fox Shadowkind said to be immortal, its number of tails increasing with its power and the strongest of Kyubis are as powerful as some low-level gods. This was proven true when, to protect her parents and others, from the insanity-causing spell cast over Pleasureland, Maria trapped them in all in a permanent illusion that, to this day, no one has been able to dispel.

After the events of Pleasureland, Maria was taken in by her 'Auntie Moonbeam' in hopes of helping her get over the horrific incident. But the awakening of her full powers seemed to have aged the child mentally, if not physically. Maria was no longer the innocent, carefree little girl. She was a woman on a mission-and that mission was to be a Shadowchaser.

She spent years training and preparing for the role and immediately joined up once she was of age. But even her dedication and skill weren't much against the fears and prejudices of not only the Shadowkind she was supposed to protect, but even other Shadowchasers. The rumors around her past, the true nature of what she was, of what she could do- all of it was impossible to escape and the young Temorline began to believe they were true. She became more ruthless, darker and there were several violent incidents that erupted because she could not-or would not- control her temper. More and more, the inhuman nature of the Kyubi inside her surfaced and each time, it took things a little farther.

But Jalal had more than a professional stake in the fate of his friend's daughter and refused to give up on her despite several teams refusing to taking and several more demanding her expulsion. And a few groups of Shadowkind demanding the execution of the 'monster'. He ignored them, but knew that something had to be done

So he sent the monster to fight a bigger monster.

Rayearth's encounter with Maria is not documented. But by the time they were done fighting, the hilly area that had been their battleground was a flat plain and Rayearth was demanding the Kyubi be transferred to Backwater. Jalal happily did so, knowing that in the town, Maria would not finally gain some acceptance, but some fresh perspective on herself and her life.

It seemed to do the trick, as shortly after her appointment, Maria showed signs of regaining a lot of the innocence she had lost nearly a decades before. She started wearing her habitual ballroom gowns and parasols. (resulting in_ Chivalry_ being crafted when she started refusing to carry standard sword because they clashed with her oufits.) and took up interests she had had no desire for previously- cooking, college and Pokemon, among others. When she legally inherited her parents wealth at twenty-six, she donated a large portion of it into charities aiming to help victims of magical accidents and manages the rest carefully, 'to ensure that my children have something coming to them other than all of my tasteful clothing."

At the present, Maria is more than content with her life with the Backwater team and even her parents fate does little to marr her happiness, though she is always hoping and working towards a cure. There are still rumors about that persist of her thirty-plus years as a Shadowchaser, such as she was once part of the Gotthammers. (Her shaping makes her the world's best diguise artist) or that she is secretly an envoy to the Yokai Clans of Asia. Many of the rumors surrounding her tend to stem form the fact publicly, she is often seen with Jalal at various functions and around HQ. And her most famous accomplishment, the defeat of the black dragon twins at the Third Battle of Luxemburg was her, again, working with Jalal.

There are plenty of more rumors about Jalal's interests towards the Temorline heir, given their closeness to one another. If pressed, Maria merely smiles behind her hand and responds with the above quote. Jalal simply informs one he appreciates her friendship and cooking. Judy LaBaron, if asked, just laughs a little and replies with 'Well, sure, who wouldn't want a mom like her?".

Suffice to say, the tabloids had a field day when the three were spotted together on a beach (regardless if it was not actually a vacation.) and insinuated that it was a secret marriage.

Maria's response was 'Oh heavens, no. I wouldn't be caught dead in a one-piece doing that. Weddings are a two-piece affair."

_Deck: _To celebrate Duel Monsters recent 50th anniversary, Industrial Illusions procured the rights to produce several hundred new cards based off of other popular, famous franchises in the 'Dreams To Reality' pack wave. Among the selected franchises were Mario, Digimon, Final Fantasy and of course, Pokemon.

The Marvel cards were not geared to be a powerful play deck, but more towards Pokemon fans. The actual monster pool is small and they lack a lot of cohesion with one another without a Spell/Trap line-up. Most of the monsters are famous Pokemon, with surprisingly few Legendaries making the list. Later releases of DTR cards saw the introduction of Legendary Pokemon cards, but all of them posses the 'Not legal for official duels' stamp.

Maria got her set through the buying and opening of many hundreds of booster packs. (I2 refused to simply allow the cards to be purchased individually, saying that Pegasus had not designed the game to solely cater to the rich.) It is a difficult deck to play, given its reliance on Marvel Catalyst to increase her monster's power and the fact her line-up has no ability to work with one another. But the Shadowchaser shows people she means business when they mock her for using a 'fun deck' seriously- a blast from a fully-evolved Pokemon sets them straight.

_Design:_ Maria is not actually wholly my character. Her initial design, mannerisms, style of dress and the like came from ScarletWeatherman, author of the Shadowchasers fanfic _Colors of Madness. _We spent many hours quibbling about how her abilities should work and the like (mostly because we never really got were the other was coming from.) before settling things and even today, we banter back and forth about how Maria is going to develop in the future.

However, the addition of her tragic backstory was something that really cemented her as a character, since it gave more of a basis as to how she is than 'I'm a monster demi-god with pretty dresses!'. We're both very happy with how she's developed and grown as a character and I'm honor that Scarlet took the time to help me out with a member of my team. Kudos to you, bro.

As for some of the rumors around Maria's character? Who knows? Maybe someday those classified files will come to light and we'll see the story of Fayte and Maria's adventure together to the lands Asia or Maria's mission with the Gotthammers to the White House...

Maybe.

Created Cards:

Note: Skeleton Knight's cards will not be listed here. This partially because the Darkspawn Archetype is still under development. (Gee, I say that a lot about my cards...) and partially because it was purposefully designed to be overpowered. Storywise, they are a sign of Skeleton Knight's blessing from his gods and the fact that he is not playing around. Gameplaywise, Darkspawn take Blackwings and Dragon Rulers on in a Special Summon/Swarm Contest and eat the later two for lunch with barbecue sauce. And really, that's just horrible.

...ahem...

Right, Maria's cards.

Psychic Heart  
LIGHT  
4 stars  
Psychic/Marvel  
800/800  
Effect: Once per turn, when this card is targeted by an attack, you may negate that attack.

Psychic Guardian  
LIGHT  
12 stars  
Psychic/Fusion/Marvel  
3200/3200  
Effect: This card may only be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck by Tributing 'Psychic Protector' by the effect of 'Marvel Catalys!'. Twice per turn, if a monster you control is targeted by an attack, yo may negate that attack. OR if a card effect would inflict effect damage, you may negate that attack.

Bulb Dino  
EARTH  
4 stars  
Plant/Marvel  
900/900  
Effect: Once per turn, you may discard a card from your Hand and select one face-up monster on the field. The selected monster loses 400 ATK and DEF points. (This change remains even if this card leaves the field)

Petal Dino  
EARTH  
8 stars  
Plant/Fusion/Marvel  
1800/1800  
Effect: This card may only be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck by Tributing 'Bulb Dino' by the effect of Marvel Catalyst'. All face-up monsters your opponent controls lose 400 ATK and DEF points.

Ugly Fish Red  
WATER  
1 star  
Fish/Marvel  
0/0  
Text: _A useless red fish. Records suggest that in the ancient past, it was once very powerful. Now it is all this fish can do to flop around uselessly. But with some experience and patience, perhaps that ancient legacy can be reawakened...? _

Atrocious Terror  
Water  
8 stars  
Sea Serpent/Fusion/Marvel  
2500/0  
Effect: This card may only Be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck by Tributing 'Ugly Fish Red' by the effect of 'Marvel Catalyst'. This card deals Piercing. This card may attack all monsters your opponent controls once. If it does so, switch it to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. This card's Battle Position may not be changed. (Even by a card effect) until your 2nd End Phase.

Fortune Adorable  
WIND  
4 stars  
Fairy/Marvel  
1400/1300  
Effect: When this card is Special Summoned, add one 'Marvel Catalyst' from your Deck or Graveyard to your Hand. Once per turn, you can reveal one 'Marvel Catalyst' in your Hand. Draw one card.

Psychic Superior  
DARK  
10 stars  
Psychic/Marvel  
4000/4000  
Effect: This card may not be Normal Summoned or Set. This card may only be Special Summoned by Tributing three Level 5 or higher Marvel Fusion Monsters you control. Once per turn, you may select one Marvel monster in your Deck or Extra Deck. Send the selected monster to your graveyard; this card's effect becomes the selected monster's effect.

Happy Cute  
WIND  
1 star  
Fairy/Marvel  
400/300  
Text: _Adorable beyond belief, this cute creature can siphon positive energy and release to those in need. For the one this child chooses as its parent, luck shall follow and smiles fall down from the sky like rain. _

Battle Training Stadium  
Continuous Spell Card  
Effect: Once per turn, you may Tribute one 'Cute' Marvel-type monster you control, then apply the appropriate effect depending on the Tributed 'Cute' mosnter.  
1. Happy Cute- Special Summon one Fortune Adorable from your Deck or Graveyard.  
2. Spark Cute- Special Summon one 'Bolt Mouse' from your Deck or Graveyard  
3. Kit Cute- Special Summon one Genome Tangent or Fire Fox from your Deck or Graveyard.  
4. Egg Cute- Special Summon one Level Four or lower Marvel-type monster from your Deck or Graveyard.

Marvel Catalyst  
Normal Spell Card  
Effect: Select one Marvel-type monster you control. Tribute the selected Monster and Special Summon one Marvel-type monster from your Extra Deck (This counts as Fusion Summon) that can be Summoned by the effect of this card.

Miracle Prayers  
Normal Spell Card  
Effect: Add as many 'Marvel Catalysts' from your Graveyard to your Hand as you can. Each time you activate the effect of 'Marvel Catalyst' this turn, reduce your life points by 1000.

K.O. Replacement  
Normal Trap Card  
Effect: Activate when a face-up 'Marvel' monster is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon one Level Four-or lower Marvel-type monster from your Deck.


	2. All The World's A Dueling Stage

Knightfall  
By 7th Librarian

Chapter 2: All The World's A Dueling Stage

"So lemme get this straight." Despite Nebraska having been long settled by the time the 'Old West' had come into existence, Gritzoban Bulbourus had never lost the accent or affectations that had become stereotypical of the era. A custom cowboy hat was perched on the dwarf's head and as he leaned back in his chair, spurs clinked as he rested his boots atop the desk. "We've got some kind of ancient knight proclaiming this town the site of his last crusade in of the name his gods, some mealy-mouthed card-sharks suddenly becoming the dang-blasted Delta Force for the guy and they have untraceable means of magically escaping us."

"That about sums it up." Rayearth was seated on the other side of the desk, a cigarette dangling from a corner of her mouth.

"Well, shee-oot." Gritzoban tugged at the brim of his hat in a resigned fashion. "And here I was a-hopin' we'd at least make the decade 'fore this kind of horse pockey happened."

"It could have been worse. From the impressions we gathered from our fight and Maria's duel, I have a feeling that Skeleton Knight isn't in any shape to actually wage an open fight with us. His 'crusade' will probably be nothing more than hit-and-run strikes and we've dealt with plenty of those before." Rayearth breathed out a wisp of smoke. "Once we learn his pattern and his ideal targets, baiting him will be easy."

"You both seemed to be taking this rather lightly. A rather powerful magical being just declared war on us." The third person in the room was a tall, bear of a man in a policeman's uniform. His long mustache twitched as he spoke. "And his Crusaders are a match for our Shadowchasers, never mind my police. We're not going to stop him."

"Derrik, you're recently new here and while I admire your record as a police chief and your ready acceptance of Awareness despite the shock, I'd like ta level with you." Gritzoban focused the chief with a lazy stare. "Backwater has been invaded more times in its history than I can remember since I've been the mayor. And since that's been since the town was just my sod house in a hill, it's been a darn long time."

The mayor readjusted his position and crossed his legs. "We've been hit with everything from minotaurs to demons to elves to zombies to the Sons of Tyranny and we're still here. Heck, that big invasion during the Civil War involved a couple of dragons, some giants and even an ent. Damn near wrecked the place, but I'd be lyin' if I didn't say that it was blasted fun punching a giant in the male pride."

"What our mayor is trying to say, Derrik, is that its best to keep in mind that everyone is far from helpless. We're a city of Shadowkind and Aware, magic and technology. Skeleton Knight is a threat, yes, but he is not something we have not dealt with before." Rayearth informed the Aware around her cigarette. "Many of your policemen have been so for longer than you've been alive."

Derrik let out a breath, making his mustache flutter. "I suppose you are right. If I can accept magic, then I must accept my perspective on things must change as well. I just don't think we should underestimate this Skeleton Knight. From the sounds of it, he's got nothing left to lose and the only thing more dangerous than someone like that is someone like that with a cause."

"Good words, Chief." The dwarf nodded approvingly. "That's part of why I brought you in – this town is old, and we're kind of set in our ways. Fresh blood keeps us from getting soft and yellow-bellied. If you think me or the lady here aren't doing our jobs right or with the seriousness we ought ta have, you come right out and tell us however you think you need to get the point across."

If the human was surprised by the open candor his instructions allowed him, he didn't show it. "Thank you, Mayor. I'll keep that in mind." Rising, he grabbed his hat from his lap and put it on. "I should return to the wreckage of the warehouse. We should have found something by now."

"Keep us in the know, Chief." Griztoban watched him leave. "The youngster is still a bit straight-laced and uptight, ain't he?"

"He's only been an Aware for a few months. I am surprised that he's taken everything so far as well as he has. Very resilient." Rayearth paused a moment to puff on her smoke and then tap the ash away. "He will need it in the coming days."

"Eh? You think this Skeleton Knight character is going to do more than rough us up?" The dwarf asked casually, opening the top drawer of his desk and producing a bottle of brandy.

"Perhaps...as Derrik said, Skeleton Knight has nothing left to lose and a cause that drives him. A dangerous combination." The Incantifer watched the mayor down a third of the bottle in one go.

"Reasonable enough. I ain't gonna lie that most of our big troublemakers have been of that sort." Gritzoban passed the bottle over to his guest. "We've always come out on top before, though. Even if it has been by the skin of our teeth."

"Just because we've never lost before doesn't mean we can't." Rayearth plucked her cigarette free to take a pull from the bottle. "Experience is no defense against bad luck."

"I know, I know. We're both getting on in years and it ain't exactly like in the old days where we could just blast our problems away. All we need is one guy to screw-up and a cell phone and the whole damned masquerade comes down." He took the bottle back for another drink. "But at the same time, we're better off than we've ever been. It ain't no longer just you and me keepin' the peace and being judge and executioner no more. And given how we're still here today, I say we counter bad luck with our good."

"Not many have been as lucky as we, Gritzoban. Shadowchasers may live longer today, but more still perish in the fight than live to retire like you did." Rayearth puffed out a ring of smoke and they both watched it float up before dispersing.

"I know." The dwarf pulled out a second bottle of brandy and slid it over to her, raising his own bottle in a toast. "To our absent friends. May they rest in peace."

"And may our peace here stay at rest." Rayearth returned the gesture and they both drank.

TTTTTT

"Well? What's taking so long?" Tsubasa hovered anxiously in the Shadowchaser's garage, rocking this way and that to peer over Rave's green-and-pink haired head as she inspected his D-Wheel. "Can you fix it or not?"

"Fix it? Tsubasa, you used it to ram a demon knight and block his sword." Rave had her hands inside the gash from said sword slash in the vehicle's frame, the grease on her face and clothing indicating that she had been at it awhile. "There is no 'fixing it'. We're going to scrap it."

"What? Again!?" Tsubasa waved his arms in frustration. "Then why have you spent the last thirty minutes working on it!?

"That's because while the bike frame itself is trashed, the guts are still mostly in one piece. Like the duel computer core and the gemstone power core. Speaking of which..." Rave grunted and metal inside the vehicle made a noise before she jerked her hand. On the third pull, she let out a noise of satisfaction and her hand emerged. It was clutching it a long, hexagonal-cylinder shaped clear gemstone. "You're very lucky that this didn't get hit. These things eat up a huge amount of my budget and if I had to get a new one, it'd be at least a couple of months before you got a new D-Wheel."

"Seriously?" Tsubasa frowned at her. "We work for Jalal, who's got like, an infinity sign in his Zurich bank account, doesn't he? And Fayte and Rayearth and Tsukihime all have like ten zeros and stuff in their accounts."

"Okay, first, none of the people mentioned have unlimited wealth despite appearances otherwise. Second, getting a gemstone this big and of the proper quality is not only expensive, but time consuming. Third, it's enchanting this that would take nearly two months – not like gems are just batteries you can swap in and out." Rave studied the gemstone, which would occasionally gain a sheen of inner light. "Not to mention that I'm guessing that Skeleton Knight's sword was magical and if it had hit this thing, it probably would have caused it to explode or something."

"Seriously!?"

"Well, yeah." Rave stood and looked at him in mild surprise. "It's acting as a power generator and if another kind of magic interrupted that, all that energy would have to go somewhere. Hell, some of the gems can be so volatile that I wouldn't be surprised if dropping one caused it to go 'boom'."

Tsubasa stared at the seemingly innocent gem in her hand with a mixture of surprise and fear. "And...and I was driving with that under me all the time?"

"Yep. You were pretty lucky. Brake too hard and you'd knock this sucker loose. Then the Springweather line would have been abruptly ended with you." The psychic snickered at Tsubasa's expression and then flicked the gem at him casually. "Here, catch."

As Tsubasa yelped and juggled the gem in a panic, Rave turned back to the D-Wheel and rapped it with her foot with a sigh. "Such a mess... Okay, Kenshin, bring up the schematics for the _Mach Wing IX._ I want to see what I need to try and salvage out of this mess before ordering new stuff."

"Mmm...yeah...uh-huh..." Kenshin was currently seated at Rave's workbench, legs swinging slowly as she started steadily at the Gameboy in her hands. "Do the dishes, right..."

Rave sighed. "No, I said bring up the schematics. You know, by interfacing with that nifty device right next to you?"

"...water the garden, feed Fayte's horsie...?" A wrench ruffled the spirit's red hair as it embedded itself in the wall behind her head. "...kay, won't forget to bring home milk..."

"You don't even have a job out of being a Shadowchaser." But Rave grunted in satisfaction as Kenshin idly swept her hand over the appropriate device, bits of green light and coding flying from her hand into it. A moment later the garage's lights dimmed and a pair of holoprojectors warmed up quietly. A second later, a sleeker looking version of Tsubasa's D-Wheel was revolving slowly in the air in front of her. "Thanks. Now let's see...the IX is gonna need the two cores, obviously...and looks like that honeycomb-frame design can be expanded to more than just side frame..."

"Huh? Honeycomb frame?" Tsubasa looked at her curiously, scratching his head and then started at a sudden realization. "Hey! Why do you have the IX version of the _Mach Wing_ already designed? And why was I stuck with VII?"

"I've designed up to the _Mach Wing XIV_, actually. And you got the one you did because that was the one I could afford to build at the time, not to mention you have a habit of your D-Wheels being destroyed." Rave stepped forwards and peered at the design, rubbing her chin. "And the honeycomb frame is something new I'm trying. A normal frame and pipes on things like a machine are hollow so you can let fluid and wires go through them. But its not all that strong – once it breaks, it breaks. But a honeycomb is strong and if the interior of the frame mimics that, it'll be more resistant to damage."

"Fascinating." Tsubasa said blandly and moved to Rave's opposite side to get a good look at his new ride. "Okay, you've built me eight D-Wheels and how come none of them have a cup holder like I keep asking for?"

"Cup holders on a motorcycle are impractical." Rave murmured, eyes roving over a schematic that only she really understood.

"Impractical? Maria's D-Wheel has a parasol storage compartment, Tsukhime's can transform into a Turbo Mode and Kenshin's is a Duel Board you souped up to travel at well above maximum safety speeds for those things!" Tsubasa thrust a finger at the mechanic, the hologram warping and sparking around the digit like it was taffy. "Compared to that, a cup holder is nothing!"

"Your finger will be nothing if you don't get it out of my hologram." Rave scowled at him as he retracted the finger. "And having a cup holder means you will want a drink, meaning you'll be driving a high-performance _motorcycle_ with one hand. Impractical, stupid and would just lead to you wrecking another one. Plus a mailbox."

"Hey! That only happened once and its not my fault that the they don't build mailboxes like they used to!" The male Shadowchaser grumbled and glowered at his comrade. "I think you're just being petty about that duel I won against you for that free vacation."

"It was a vacation to Japan, of course anyone would be sore about losing that and you just got lucky! If you hadn't had that damn Mirror Force- I mean-" Rave controlled herself and gave him a falsely sweet smile. "No, no, I'm much too professional and open-minded to ever consider getting revenge upon you by denying you a stupid accessory that would most likely result in your death, the death of innocent people and the bike."

"Ha!" He pointed at her again, not caring as the hologram warped again. "You do admit you're doing it for revenge!"

"...you fought the Stork and broke a dark elf slave ring just by walking around, but you can't detect sarcasm?" Rave's eyebrow flew into her pink and blue hairline, then came down to join the other as she glared at him. "And. Finger. Move it or lose it!"

"Oh come on, it's not like-" He quickly retracted the digit as she raised a wrench. "Okay, okay, sheesh. It's a holographic projection. It's not like I can damage it."

"It's more than a projection." Rave told him, pointing with a wrench to emphasis. "It's a work of art!"

"It's a hologram. Holograms can't be art." Tsubasa insisted.

Rave huffed and shook her head, glancing over to the third team member in the garage. "Kenshin?"

"Just a sec...googling..." Kenshin's eyes flickered for a moment. "August 22nd of two years ago. One Edward Calliope is recognized by several national and international organizations as a top artist and pioneer in the field of modern holographic art and is awarded the first ever 'Modern Art Ingenuity' award. His gallery exhibit, entitled _The Fluidity of Stability_ was not only the first interactive exhibit of its kind, but drew record attendance and is considered the moment that the general populace fully embraced the idea of holographic art. Futhermore-"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Tsubasa waved his hand to cut off his teammate's explanation and folded his arms, grumpy. "That is totally not fair, using the walking search engine like that..."

"Yeah, well, tough tamales. I'm still right." Rave smirked proudly and then huffed as he stuck his tongue out at her. "Oh, real mature. You're twenty-eight and _that's_ such an appropriate response to lose an argument."

"You're right." Tsubasa smirked himself and stuck both of his hands into the hologram. "This is."

"What the hell!? Stop that!" Rave scowled angrily at him as he wiggled his fingers, making the schematics spark and warp weirdly. She leapt forwards, snaring his throat in her hands and shaking him."Tsubasa Springweather, you're a dead man!"

It was also at that moment that the hologram warped, becoming the Shadowchaser leader. Jalal blinked and glanced down at the strange image of two of his agents grappling inside his holographic form."Rave, why are you strangling Tsubasa in my chest?"

"Huh?" Rave released Tsubasa and stepped back. "Oh hey, Jalal. He was being a jerk and – hey! Where'd my beautiful piece of art go!?"

"There wasn't anyone near the fireplace, so I moved the signal out here because-" Jalal didn't flinch as Rave hurled a wrench through his face grumpily. "Yes, well, I'll only be a minute."

He turned towards Kenshin, who was still absorbed in her Gameboy. "Kenshin, we've recently raided a criminal hideout with connections to Yliaster. Inside, we discovered a powerful computer and the encryption is very, very good. Given how fiercely it was defended, it's safe to assume there's something inside that they really don't want us to know. Time is of the essence and so I'd like you to-"

Jalal broke off as he realized Kenshin wasn't listening to him. "Excuse me..."

"...save the world, French Toast and waffles, got it..." Kenshin murmured in reply, her eyes never wavering from the screen as her fingers were nearly a blur as they pressed the buttons.

Jalal lifted an eyebrow and then glanced at the other two agents in the room. "I've known Kenshin most of her life. She's usually a bit more...energetic about things."

Rave shrugged. "Yeah, she's been falling into gaming trances every-so-often. We think its spiritual puberty or something. Maybe her equivalent to the time of the month."

The look on Jalal's face at such a proposition could have been used as a picture definition of the word 'incredulous.'

Tsubasa spread his hands helplessly. "Hey, if you've got a better explanation, boss man, we're glad to hear it. But she'll snap out of it in a little bit."

"I am on something of a tight schedule, Mister Springweather." Jalal told him. "Perhaps one of you should remove the distraction of her Gameboy."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Maria informed him as she entered the garage. She was dressed in a crème-and-gold dress that was not quite as poofy as her regular choices. A hat was still perched on her head and she carried a covered plate in one hand. "We tried that once and Kenshin flipped out on us. Tsubasa wouldn't go near her for a full day afterwards. Hello, Jalal."

"Hello, Maria." He returned and glanced over at Tsubasa. "What exactly did she do, Mister Springweather?"

"Candy Crush. She made me play Candy Crush over and over again...and you don't want to play her version of Candy Crush." Tsubasa shuddered at the memory and then glanced at his teammate. "What's on the plate?"

"Something that should snap our favorite spirit out of her trance." Maria pulled the lid off with a flourish. "My special recipe of homemade-"

"BROWNIES!" Rave and Tsubasa found themselves flattened as Kenshin used them to vault herself forwards, flying through Jalal's holographic form. Outstreched hands each snared a brownie off the plate, the spirit skidding to a stop and happily chowing down one.

"That's all you get until you listen to what Jalal has for you to do." Maria warned her, the spirit nodding around a mouthful of chocolate goodness. Turning back to her teammates, the Kyubi extended the plate in their direction. "Here, guys. We had a rough day yesterday. Have a pick-me-up."

"Pick-me-up? Maria, your brownies are so good that more like 'hurl-me-up'. Into the stratosphere. Like a rocket." Tsubasa pulled one off the plate, frowning. "Okay, that analogy didn't work well. Maybe what's better than pick-me-up is shoot-me-up? No..."

"How about 'shut up'?" Rave shoved his brownie into his mouth and then grabbed one for herself, chowing down on it happily. "Thanks, Maria."

"You're welcome." The Kyubi chuckled as she caught Jalal's look at the plate. "Don't worry. I already sent you a care package of brownies and other goodies before I came in here."

A mischievous glint entered her eyes. "Though, I think it was Judy I spoke to before I sent them. And you know how hungry she can get sometimes..."

"Oh? Right, yes, yes." Jalal turned to Kenshin. "Just report to HQ tomorrow morning at the Research Department's computer and we'll link you into the Yliaster harddrive we found. If anything changes before then, I'll send a message to your inbox."

At the spirit's acknowledging wave, as her mouth was still too full of brownie to answer, Jalal nodded. "Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your day, Shadowchasers. Best of luck. Cheerio."

Tsubasa swallowed the rest of his brownie as Jalal vanished and the image of the _Mach Wing IX_ returned. "Did he, like, just ditch us to go after Maria's cooking?"

"What can I say – the man knows what he likes. And he likes my cooking." A smirk tugged at Maria's lips. "Especially the spicier things I make for him..."

"Okay, I'm going to eat another brownie before my brain realizes how many different ways it can interpret what you just said." Rave suited action to words, snatching up another treat and taking a bite. She used the half-eaten brownie to gesture at her teammate. "So what's with the fancy dress? I thought you were pretty worn out from your duel yesterday and were gonna sleep."

"I did, but got bored with my dream, so I woke up. And this isn't a dress." Maria smoothed out the folds of the outfit with her free hand. "These are my pajamas."

"...you sleep with a hat on?"

"Of course not – I'd never be able to rid myself of the bed-head. Oh!" Maria straightened suddenly. "That reminds me!"

She reached up and tugged at her hat couple of times. "Time to wake up, Theodore. You said you wanted to talk to us?"

The other three Shadowchasers in the room stared a bit as her hat's decorations rustled and then a stuffed elephant in a vest and glasses pushed them apart, stepping free with a yawn. "Oh, oh, thank you, Miss Temorline. Your hat's foliage reminds me of the jungles of Africa, though I've never been. It was a wonderful place to rest."

"Not a problem, Theodore." Maria carefully pulled the stuffed animal off her head and set him down on Rave's workbench. "I've got to clean up the mess in the kitchen before I head off to sleep again, but these three should be able to help you."

"Oh, indeed, yes, quite." Theodore smoothed imaginary ruffles on his vest as Rave, Tsubasa and Kenshin moved in front of him. "Hello, Shadowchasers. I'm glad to see you all are well."

"Same to you, Theodore. Though it's been awhile since we've seen one of you actor-types down here." Tsubasa said. "So what's up?"

"As you know, we of the Toybox Theater Troupe are of little world renown, but great experience. But however small of note are we, it can be said that our performances are an orchestra, a masterpiece. A family we all are, whether we be stuffed partners, statues that breathe or any manner of the menagerie of mundane that life can make extraordinary. And the patriarch of this family is none other than the masterful Don Remy, who's small stature only heightens his creative genius and talent." Theodore explained patiently. "However, as of late, that genius has seemed to rather obscure edge to its creativity and we, as family and troupe, wish to dull the edge of such endeavors for they cut too fine."

The three Shadowchasers regarded him with confusion.

Theodore used his trunk to push his glasses up his nose. "I see I was ultimately verbose to the point of stupefaction. An altogether unhealthy habit that I have fallen from grace into – too many speeches of the Bard, yes? Yes. I will endeavor to be more trenchant."

The little elephant began to pace back and forth across the workbench, arms behind his back. "Don Remy, a director of no small talent and no small pride, recently has been bedeviled by an affliction most curious and his sanguine bouts of supernova-esque creativity and imagination has seemingly gone beyond to a collapsed white dwarf, a prelude unsightly that will lead inevitably to a black hole, an ennui that will swallow him up and affects him most adversely, that not even the Bard's rousing elegance could not rouse him from. And with that, we worry not unduly of his mental clarity and perspicacity."

He again regarded his audience, peering at them expectantly from behind the none-existent lenses of his plastic frames.

Tsubasa scratched his cheek in thought, Rave looked a little lost. They glanced at one another, shrugged and turned back to look at Kenshin. The spirit held up her hands helplessly and spoke around a mouthful of brownie. "I dunno what he said, either."

Theodore stared at them and the three stared back at him.

A cricket chirped. Once.

The elephant waited a beat more, then spoke again with a sigh. "Don Remy is acting really strange and we need your help to snap him out of it."

"Ohhhhh..." The three Shadowchasers said in unison, understanding dawning on their faces. Then they all looked another and took a step back. "Rock...paper...scissors!"

Tsubasa swore as he realized the two girls had selected paper and he had gotten rock. "Blast it...okay, I'll take it this time." He stowed his hands in his pockets. "But I don't have a ride, so I'mma need to borrow someone's."

"Well...Gurren's is too big for you...Kenshin's and Tsuki's aren't meant to be driven by humans, Rayearth doesn't have one, I still need to fix the _Borderline._..and Alexandre would just as soon as stomp on you if tried to ride...same with the Watchguard Unicorns..." Rave sighed as she realized what that list left in terms of options. "Okay, you can take the _Cyber Star."_

"Really? Sweeeetttt..." Tsubasa turned towards the Psychic's D-Wheel. It was a similar model to his own, but bulkier and more-sturdy looking. Its name came from the fact it was patterned with the star-blue and silver that Rave's Starsteel monsters had. He took a step towards it, then was yanked by a hand on his collar. "Urk!"

Rave grabbed his shirt front and waved a wrench dangerously in his face. "But not one scratch on my baby, Tsubasa. _Not one scratch._" Her eyes glowed like prisms. "Or I'm going to manifest one of my blades inside your body."

"Right. Gotcha." Tsubasa nodded vigorously. "Not one scratch." Then he was dashing out the door, grabbing Theodore as he passed.

Kensihn swallowed her brownie as they watched him go. "Didn't you make your D-Wheel, like indestructible?"

"Yes, but I don't want him to know that. Last thing I need is him going terrace jumping or something." Rave grabbed for a brownie and frowned when her hand hit plate. "Kenshin!"

The spirit looked at her, her mouth still smeared with chocolate. "What?"

TTTTTT

The _Cyber Star_ skidded around the corner at something far exceeding the speed limit, leaving a small track burnt rubber before Tsubasa revved the engine and it roared forwards at double its speed without even a lurch.

Neo's form appeared alongside the speeding vehicle, keeping pacing through means unknown. (_Aren't you going a little fast?)_

"Are you kidding, Neo_? _Rave's D-Wheel is incredible – insane handling, glides over the road, quiet engine and all these buttons..." The Shadowchaser spared a second-glance down at the numerous buttons that were all over the front dash. "Think one of these triggers a rocket launcher?"

_(Considering her rather potent threat, I would suggest that you do not attempt any such thing.) _Neo cautioned him as Tsubasa took another corner like a street racer. (_Doesn't the Mach Wing satisfy you?)_

"Oh, yeah it does. But you gotta remember, a mechanic doesn't spare anything for their own ride. And I've always wanted to see what she's skimped out on putting on the _Mach Wing."_ Tsubasa told him and grinned. "If I could get handling like this, I'll be having the cup holder yet."

_(And adding 'danger to pedestrians' to your list of dubious accomplishments...)_ Neo sighed at his partner's line of thinking. (_So who is this Dom Remy we've been requested to help?)_

'Don't you know?" Tsubasa frowned at him through his helmet's visor. "You've been here for over ten years with me and I attend the Never-Born's performances just like everyone else. So you should be there with me."

_(Just because you keep my card, doesn't mean I am always present, squire. I am, after all, capable of traveling through dimensions.) _Neo pointed out.

"Right, fine..." Tsubasa rolled his eyes. "Okay, over the years, there's been a lot of people doing things with magic like creating unique creations, bringing stuff to life and all that kind of stuff. Called 'Never-Born', since they don't have a birth. When we arrest the perps, there's not a whole lot we can do with the new creations despite them falling under the Treaty."

_(I can imagine that incorporating a talking, living doll into Mundane society would difficult, yes.)_

"Dolls are just some of things – try statues, trees, even paintings. But we do our best, and a lot of them end up here in Backwater and we try to give them lives, jobs, whatever they think we can do. The Never-Born Theater Troupe is one of those places. They aren't exactly traditional actors, but they do some creative stuff. And Don Remy is a big reason for that. He's the director, manager and everything else that keeps them together."

_(So if he is in trouble, so is the troupe?)_

"Probably, but we'll see." Tsubasa brought the _Cyber Star_ to a screeching halt in front a large mansion. Emblazoned above the massive double doors in tall letters were the words _Backwater Theater._"We're here."

Neo folded his arms and studied the building as the Shadowchaser dismounted. (_We drove across the city to yet another mansion. Just how many of them are here in Backwater?)_

"More than you'd think." Tsubasa stowed his helmet in the bike's storage compartment and then ducked as a pair of fluttering wings swooped over his head. "Hey, watch it!"

"Apologies." A clockwork bird landed gracefully near the bike and Theodore slid out of the saddle, patting it on the side. "A smooth ride as always, Pigeon."

The bird cawed mechanically at him.

"Right, Eagle. Sorry, you all look so alike."

The bird cawed in a manner suggesting a huff and with a beat of its wings, took the air again. A moment later, it vanished around the mansion's roof.

Tsbuasa watched it go. "Metal birds flying without magic. Crazy..."

"I understand their creator is that junk golem in the junkyard. He's rather touched in the head, but a master smith." Theodore started for the doorway. "Come, come, Mister Springweather. Time and tide waits for no man. Or stuffed animal."

The elephant approached the doorway and then pulled on a bell-rope hung just for those at his height. "Maurice, Maurice! I've returned with one of the Shadowchasers! I bid you, let us enter!"

The door creaked open and the pair entered, Tsubasa turning back to face the door way as it closed. "Hey, Maurice. How's it hanging?"

"A life of a doorman is never sad." Maurice was literally a relief statue carved into the workings of the stone archway, his arms carved to hold the door handles. His voice was ponderous and deep. "A service I provide to those who dwell within and without, for good or bad. But this life is no curse-"

"'-for you are the gate to the mystical and wondrous.' Yeah, I know. Save it for the opening night." Tsubasa waved at him and then picked up his pace to keep up with Theodore.

The elephant was scurrying down the hallway as fast his legs could carrying him. "This way, this way-he's holed up in his room."

"Theo!" There was a skittering noise above the pair and an adorable plush spider-girl in a dress swung down on a length of robe to join them. Readjusting her hat, all remaining six legs were a blur. "I saw your bird from the clocktower! Who did you bring?"

"The latest of the Springweather line, Miss Tuffet." Theo informed her as they rounded a corner into another tiled hallway filled with paintings and statuary. "An odd duck, to be sure, but perhaps odd enough to snap our director from his fugue."

Miss Tuffet glanced over her shoulder at Tsubasa, blinking at him with wide and cute eyes. "Oh, I see what you mean. So..._effervescent."_

"I don't know what that means, so I'll take it as a compliment." Tsubasa muttered as they weaved their way through the mansion.

"Oh it is dearie, it is!" Miss Tuffet assured him, a swing of her robe catching something. A moment later, she swung herself onto his shoulder. "The Springweather line has always produced the most interesting people! You're Gerald's son, aren't you? Oh, he and his brother were such fine gentlemen when they were your age. Though... a bit stiff with their acting..."

"Yeah, well, we can't be good at everything." Tsubasa slowed to halt as they approached another set of great doors. Crowded around it were nearly a couple-dozen of toys of various makes, models and types. They were all chattering excitedly, but fell silent as the Shadowchaser approached.

Miss Tuffet hopped down from his shoulder, waving her arms excitedly. "Let him through, let him through!"

The sea of toys parted as Tsubasa made his way to the door. The door itself was massive and he regarded the massive Greek Statue in front of it. With their arms spread, they made an effective barrier and lock. "Hey, I need in there. Could you move, please?"

The statue's eyes glowed as he 'spoke'. _"Director Remy has ordered Atlas to fulfill his role as lock. Atlas will not move."_

"Atlas!" Tsubasa glanced down to see a wooden toy soldier that was barely up to his knee stride up and lift an arm towards the statue. "We need to help the director! I am ordering you to open this door!"

"_Commander Cracker, Atlas will not move. Director's orders."_

"Come on, you blasted rock! You know as well as I do that the director's not himself. He wouldn't listen to us and now he's locked himself in the room. That's not right! As his number two, it's my duty to go in there and kick some sense into him!" Command Cracker rapped the butt of his rifle against the floor. "Open up, I say!"

"Cracker's right, Atlas." Miss Tuffet scuttled forwards. "I know you're worried about him just as much as we are. Don't you think the best you can do is let us in so we can see what's wrong?"

"_Director's orders...Atlas made to fill role, Director give Atlas role..." _But the statue's words were uncertain.

"Hey, Atlas." Tsubasa snapped his fingers, then realized the statue couldn't 'look' at him for the gesture to work. "If he gave you a roll as a lock, you've done a pretty good job so far. But the way I see it, the roll of a lock in a story is to either stay locked or picked, however someone can do that, right?"

"_Atlas thinks this makes sense..."_

"Of course it does. So, since I seem to be the hero of this story and you're the lock to the final dungeon, doesn't it stand to reason I can 'pick' you? The dramatic tension is heightened as far as its going to get, otherwise."

Atlas remained silent for a moment and then, with a rumble, he lowered his arms. Then his pedestal hovered up a few inches and floated silently out of the way. "_Good luck, hero. Help Director..."_

"That's what I'm here for." Tsubasa pushed the door open partway and slid inside. The room was nearly pitch-black and he had to squint to make out a few shapes as he advanced slowly. "Director Remy? I'm Tsubasa, one of the Shadowchasers? Your troupe is awfully concerned about you. You need any help?"

"I know you are. Easy enough to recognize a Springweather. And show some manners and shut the door, will ya?" The voice was one would expect from a stereotypical 20s gangster film, smoky and each world almost running together. "And as for help? Kid, you wouldn't know where to begin to help me."

"I can try." Tsubasa shut the door as requested. He remained where he was, waiting for his eyes to adjust. But even as it was, he could see the cherry-red ember across the way. "I can start by suggesting you not smoke."

"Bad for my health, is it?" Remy laughed. "Kid, I ain't got lungs to wreck with this stuff."

"Oh, I know." Tsubasa, now able to see appropriately, leaned back against the door and folded his arms. "But considering you're a teddy bear, I'd think you catch fire from the ash."

"Bah." Remy was dressed like the gangster he sounded like, fiddling with the brim of his hat. "I'd sooner die from a pair of cement shoes than fire. And water don't ruin my stitches, either."

"Well, something's ruining your attitude, there, Director, so spill the beans." Tsubasa waved a hand in his general direction.

"Tch. Nothing's good enough."

"You mean your plays-"

"No, I mean the Empire State Building!" Remy snapped suddenly angrily. "Of course, I mean my plays! There not good enough for me! Not them or the actors!

"Whoa, whoa, slow-down." Tsubasa held up a hand. "You're a hardcore guy about this stuff, but that kind of talk isn't like you. You care like no other about the other Neverborn and your work! And now suddenly none of this 'worth' you?"

"Exactly! It's not going to be any good, because I waste my effort on all of it!" The teddy bear grumbled. "So why should I bother if there's nothing to do anything for me?"

The Shadowchaser narrowed his eyes and Neo appeared alongside him. It was faint, but both of them could see a thin black outline surrounding the Director. "Hey, did you get any new cards recently?"

"What? No! No cards are worth me and I-"

"Okay, shut up now." Tsubasa ignored Remy's jaw-drop look of surprise and whispered to Neo. "He's possessed."

(_Yes.) _Neo nodded in agreement after a moment's pause. (_But they aren't doing a very good job. All they've done is just manipulate Remy's ego.)_

"Yeah and I recognize that spirit energy signature, too. One of our old friends."

"Hey! What are you whispering about over there?" Remy scowled at them. "You think you're better than me or something?"

"Oh, sure I do." Tsubasa turned to face him, waggling a finger. "I'm a better duelist than you, at least."

"What?" Remy's eyes narrowed. "I happened to come third in the City Tournament this year, you know! You didn't even rank!"

"I couldn't participate, thanks to being a Shadowchaser." Tsubasa shrugged casually. "Of course, that just means we're too good, you know?"

"You're writing checks with your mouth I'm going to make you cash with your body." Remy growled.

"Yeah, right." Tsubasa waved it off. "C'mon, mister I'm-soooo-important. Put up or shut up if you're that confident. Otherwise, just admit I'm better."

He grinned as Remy started to fume angrily, the dark aura growing bigger. (_That's it...take the bait.)_

"Alright, then, Shadowchaser." Remy said suddenly. "I'll grace you with my prowess just this once."

"Good." Tsubasa reached for the door. "Now let's find a nice, big open space to-"

"Nope, I've got the trapdoor."

"Well, that's nice, but I-" Tsubasa froze. "Wait, a trapdoor!?"

The floor fell out from underneath his feet.

TTTTTTT

The Theater's stage was a precinium-style, meaning it had a great big archway at the front, with sweeping winds and an apron extending past the arch that could be lowered for bands to sit.

It was constructed out of the best wood money could buy and was very solid, able to support several tons worth of weight.

It was also very hard, as one Shadowchaser found out as he fell screaming out of the trapdoor in the ceiling and landed face-first onto the stage.

Tsubasa groaned and peeled himself up off the stage carefully. "Who the hell puts a trap down in their own office...?" He rubbed at the red mark on his face in annoyance and then blinked. "Wait – the office and the stage are on the same floor! How did we-"

"Shut your yap and get your deck ready, kid!" Across the way, Don Remy dropped out of his own trapdoor, landing neatly into a highchair that placed underneath. "And don't question the magic of the stage! Some of its secrets are that for a reason!"

"Then why don't you enlighten me as to how it's going to let a teddy bear-" Tsubasa was cut off as Remy produced a deck from his jacket and slapped it down on the highchair's tray. It immediately lit up, the lines of light revealing it was a duel tray like the kind you could get for wheelchairs or tabletops. "Heh. Not bad. Let's see what I got..."

He popped a deck out of one of the holsters on his hip and fanned out it briefly. Grinning, he snapped the cards back into a single stack and shuffled it up before slamming it home in his disk. "Congratulations, you're about to be the victim of my latest brainchild!"

"Considering your family history of such great mental prowess, I don't think I'm going to need to be worried that much." Remy drawled sarcastically as he drew his opening hand. (RLP: 8000)

"We'll just see about that! As challenger, the first turn is mine!" Tsubasa drew five cards, then snapped up a sixth. "I activate the continuous spell card Dragon's Hoard for starters – each time I Special Summon a Dragon-type monster, I can place one Horde Counter on this card!"

As a small pile of gold coins, jewels and even a golden goblet appeared off to the side nearby, he was already grabbing another card from his hand. "I activate Traitor Amidst the Ranks! Now one Traitor Token is summoned to your side of the field!"

Remy lifted an eyebrow as a shady-looking man in a tuxedo appeared in front of him, glancing around furtively. "So what happens if I get rid of this Traitor?" (500/500)

"You'd take five hundred damage and it doesn't matter how it leaves the field. But that's not why he's there – I just needed you to have a monster so I can special summon Vice Dragon from my hand!" With a roar, a grey/purple-scaled dragon with ragged green wings appeared. Meanwhile, the pile of wealth grew slightly as a Hoard Counter was placed on the card. "Of course, since I summoned him this way, he's at half stats." (2000/1200-1000/600)

Then the dragon vanished, replaced a larger, blue-scaled dragon. It's cry was musical and a silvery glow flickered about it majestically. "But I can still sacrifice him for my Lightpulsar Dragon!" (2500/1200)

Tsubasa shuffled his two remaining cards around and then grinned slightly. "I set one card face-down and call it a turn. You're up, Director."

"You're playing like we're in the finale, kid, but we haven't even gotten past the prologue yet! And it's going to cost you!" Remy drew for his turn, then slapped down a monster card. In a flash of light, a golden statue with countless arms sticking out of his back in a fan shape appeared in front of him. "Let me show you how you do a proper set-up! Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands lets me add my Advanced Ritual Art from my deck!" (1400/1000)

Pulling his deck up, he fanned it out, found the card he wanted and then, clenching it in his mouth, shuffled it before turning it home. That done, he threw the ritual spell card down in front him immediately. A second later, a large tank filled with a shadowed-figure and strange liquid rose up nearby. "This card lets me send Normal Monsters from my deck to my graveyard to fulfill the requirements for a Ritual Summon!"

The teddy bear held up a fan of cards in his free hand with a smirk. "This should do nicely, don't you think?"

Tsubasa stared as he placed the stack into his graveyard. "Six cards!?"

"You got it and since that is equal to my Lycanthrope's level stars, I can Ritual Summon him to the field!" The tank shattered, letting a blue-and-silver furred wolfman leap free. Various parts of his body were covered cybernetics and it's roar carried the distinct sound of being synthesized. "Destroy that dragon! _Howling Steel Claws!_" (2400/2000)

"You can't beat my monster that...oh, Rush Recklessly." Tsubasa finished lamely as a red surge surrounded the charging monster. He watched as the wolfman charged across the field, cleaving his dragon to pieces with two swift slashes of his claws. "When Lightpulsar Dragon is destroyed, I can-"

The rest of the sentence failed as the wolfman kept coming, raking a set of mechanical claws across his chest and driving him back a step. He clutched the hit as the Ritual Monster jumped back to his field. "What the hell was that!" (TLP: 6200)

"Did I forget to mention that when Lycanthrope destroys a monster, you take two hundred times the number of Normal Monsters in my graveyard?" Remy chuckled mockingly. "You didn't think I summoned just because he's such a looker, did you?"

"Thought had crossed my mind..." Tsubasa grunted out as he straightened, then pointed at the remains of his dragon. They had burst into sunrise-colored flames. "As I was saying, when Lightpulsar Dragon dies, I can bring back a dragon in my graveyard."

The flames condensed, morphing into the form of Vice Dragon. A second later, Tsubasa's set card lifted and with a roar, Lightpulsar Dragon was back on the field as well. "So not only does Vice Dragon come back, but thanks to my Immortal Dragon trap card, so does the one you just killed."

"And two more counters for your spell card..." Remy chomped down on his cigar as he watched the pile of wealth expand again. "Alright, hotshot, so you weren't blowing smoke with that move. Let's see you keep it up. I'll set two cards and call it a turn."

Tsubasa drew and then pointed at the pile of wealth in front of him. "I send Dragon's Hoard to the graveyard when it has two or more Counters to draw two cards!"

The wealth vanished and he snapped up two more cards. "Then I'll set one card face-down and activate A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon!" Vice Dragon roared as it spread its wings and they were enveloped in a golden glow. "By returning a level five or higher dragon to my field, I can destroy all spell and trap cards in play!"

Remy watched as Vice Dragon beat its wings, unleashing golden waves of energy that tore their set cards to bits. "I assume that you wanted to destroy your own card?"

"You got it – that was Magical Blueprints and that lets me move a continuous trap or spell from my deck to my hand. 'Though I can't use it or set it this turn. I'll add a particular continuous trap card to my hand." Tsubasa tucked the card alongside his remaining two cards, then snapped up a hand. "Lightpulsar Dragon! _Rising Sunburst!"_

The dragon took the air, swooping forwards and incinerating Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands in a blaze that forced Remy to shield his face from the heat. "How's that for keeping the show interesting?" (RLP: 7100)

"Nothing more than a one-liner, kid." Remy dusted a bit of ash off his sleeve and at Tsubasa's nod, drew for the start of his turn. "'Specially since you just left yourself open."

The Traitor Token vanished, replaced by a wizened old man. He adjusted his glasses and smoothed his green vest. Producing a pipe, he puffed on it as he began to work some string between his fingers. "It may have cost me some life points, but your token was the perfect tribute bait to summon out my Dollmaker in attack mode!" (2200/1200) (RLP: 6600-5800)

"Hey, what gives? Why did you lose eight hundred more life points?" Tsubasa frowned as the Dollmaker suddenly produced a good-sized block off wood from out of nowhere and began whittling on it. "And what's he doing?"

"Those life points went towards my Dollmaker's effect – namely letting me summon one Doll monster from my deck." Finishing his work, the Dollarmaker threw his new creation into the monster space next to him. It was a pair of rudimentary doll arms – as they hit the floor, they cracked and chipped in several places. "Doll Part Gold, give yourself a hand. Ha!" (0/0)

"Doll Parts...so those are what you sent to the graveyard for Lycanthrope." Tsubasa regarded the creation curiously. "I tried to make a Doll Parts deck once, but getting Chimera out was way too much of a pain. What makes your deck so different? But before you answer..."

The Shadowchaser slid a card into his graveyard and it immediately slid back out, releasing a blast of white light that resolved into a glittering ice dragon-man with heavy black wings and a skull-like face. He stretched himself out, then knelt swiftly on an image of his own card. "Since you Special Summoned a monster from, I can do the same with my Dragon Ice so long as I discard a card. Like itself." (1800/2200)

"Tch." Remy looked displeased at the new dragon's presence as he glanced down at his hand. "I'd love to show you what they can do, kid, but for now, I'll have Lycanthrope turn that cool blue dragon into ice cubes! _Howling Steel Claws!"_

Lycanthrope dashed forwards, its claws not quite during Dragon Ice into ice cubes so much as leaving it a rapidly-melting puddle of ice chips. "And now that thing is dead, I'll move to my Main Phase 2 and activate my Creature Swap."

Tsubasa just smiled slightly as the Doll Part Gold and his Lightpulsar Dragon both glowed slightly before they swapped places. "Good thing I had Dragon Ice in hand, huh? Otherwise you could have finished me off."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're luckier than a monkey in a banana forest." The teddy bear growled at him. "But now you're at a big disadvantage since I have three strong monsters and all you have is a pile of zero attack points. All I've seen from your brainchild is a quick way lose."

(_I'm afraid I agree with our host.) _Neo appeared behind Tsubasa, arms folded casually as he peered over his partner's shoulder. (_And the contents of your hand don't appear immediately useful.)_

"Hey, give me some credit here. I've been dueling since I've been able to talk. This deck is going to work out just fine." Tsubasa scowled as Neo lifted an eyebrow at him. "What's with that look?!"

(_It's just that you said the same thing about that Snapesnatch deck and look what happened with that sorcerer...)_Neo said lightly.

"Oh no, you don't." Tsubasa thrust a finger in the spirit's face. "The deck worked fine, I beat him with the OTK combo like I was supposed to! _You_ didn't get past his spirit friend in time to help me catch him!"

_(That's because you were too beat up from taking too many unnecessary hits in from the Shadow Game to chase after him yourself.)_ Neo countered. (_I don't know what you were thinking with that deck...)_

"You said it was a good idea!"

(_You should know better to listen to me when I've been out in another dimension all night!)_

"Yeah, about that! What do you do on those trips? Working on your 'Compendium of Best Bars Across the Multiverse'?"

Neo's eyebrow began to twitch. (_Don't take light of my sojourns, squire. I've drank some drinks that would burn your mortal throat to ashes and not even flinched!)_

"That's impressive, but it's not! That's like saying I should be proud of the fact today, I got through breakfast with only four cups of coffee!"

_(You __**are**__ proud of that! You usually drink ten!) _

The two glowered at one another fiercely, then lost their anger as the sound of clapping and cheers reached their ears. They both turned to find the rest of the Toybox Troupe had crowded into the seats up front.

"Good show, jolly good show!" Commander Cracker and apparently a whole battalion of other toy soldiers of various makes and models were crowded onto a few seats, cheering and waving their weapons about.

"You two are marvelous! Such a wonderful dynamic!" Miss Tuffet was clapping all of her hands.

"If you two are done playing the peanut gallery for this little improv, why don't you get back to the script?" Remy's voice drew the Shadowchaser's attention back to the playing field. He had an irritated expression his face and the black aura was faintly visible around him.

"What's the matter? Can't stand not being the center of attention, director?" Tsubasa mocked as he drew and smirked slightly as he saw the aura get a little bigger. (_Whatever is controlling him has got some pride...) _"Well, then let's give the audience a show! I activate Draconnection! This card lets me reveal a Dragon-type monster in my hand, then add one of the same level from my deck to my hand, while the revealed the monster goes back to my deck."

He held up a monster card. "Hieratic Seal of the Dragon King is level six, so back to the deck it goes..." He placed card atop his deck and it was shuffled back into it, followed by another card whirring free. "And a new monster comes to my hand."

A spell card appeared in front of him. "But let's go with another fun dragon card – Dragon Shrine. I can send a Dragon-type from my deck to the graveyard and if that monster happens to be a Normal Monster, another one follows." Two cards slid free from his deck and he held them up. "Darkstorm Dragon is a Gemini monster and since that's a Normal in the graveyard, two are put to the eternal rest."

He dropped the two monsters into the graveyard and the Doll Parts Gold on his field vanished, replaced by another roaring Lightpulsar Dragon. "Attack your brother!"

The two dragons roared and unleashed their attacks at the same, the collision sending ripples back along the attacks to their origins and both monsters vanishing into pixels. Then the pixels swirled together, turning black in color and became a pair of tornadoes of pitch-black wind. With a dark screech, two figures formed out of the wind. Ethereal dragons with red-eyes and tattered, hole-filled wings that did nothing to impede their ability to fly. "And since they both went to the graveyard, I can call forth two dark dragons! Like the Darkstorm Dragons!" (2700/2500x2)

Screeches filled the air as the dragons didn't even bother to be ordered to attack, each beat of their wings unleashing pulverizing waves that crushed Lycanthrope into a mess of metal and fur before he exploded. Shortly after, the Dollmaker was blown off his feet and hurled hard behind the Director into the darkness of the stage wings. (RLP: 5800-5100)

A card flashed into existence behind the whirling tornadoes and Tsubasa folded his arms confidently. "That wraps up my turn. Impressed yet?"

"Oh, I am, kid. And allow me to return the favor by leaving the impression of my surprise on your nightmare!" Remy snapped and drew sharply, slapping down a spell card. "Tri-Wight selects three level two or lower monsters from my graveyard and special summons them. Let's see some new Doll Parts strut their stuff! Red, Blue and Gold all return to me!"

In short flashes of a light, the broken doll arms returned and were joined by broken arms and a head. "And now Polymerization will fuse my Doll Parts on the field with the Doll Part Red in my hand together!"

"A Doll Fusion? Oooooooo..." Tsubasa watched eagerly as a swirling portal opened on Remy's field and pulled the four monsters into. With a flash of light, the portal snapped shut to reveal a towering new figure in play, and the Shadowchaser grinned. "That looks awesome!"

"You think my Doll Franken is the bee's knees, do you?" Remy chuckled obnoxiously and gestured to the behemoth on his field. Doll Franken was a seven foot tall teddy bear. The massive amount of stitches covering its body suggested it had been repaired many times. It growled quietly, an irritated look on its face. "Well, you won't be saying that when you see his effect. It'd first nuke all of my spells and traps, but I ain't got any, so I can get right to the good stuff!"

One by one, he slid Doll Parts cards into place behind his fusion monster on his Duel Tray. "Doll Parts equip to him and power his effects, but the one you should be worried about is that he gains one thousand attack points for each one!" (0-5000/0)

With a dangerous 'shing!' sound, nasty-looking claws extended from Doll Franken's right hand as it roared and charged across the field. With one mighty blow, it smashed one of the Darkstorm Dragons to dust. "And by ridding it of a Doll Part, it can attack again!" (5000-4000)

Tsubasa grimaced as the fusion rent his remaining dragon to pieces and then glanced down at his disk. "No damage..."

"Of course." Remy rolled his eyes and took a puff on his cigar. "He's a stuffed animal. You really think he could hurt someone?"

"Could have fooled me..." Tsubasa shrugged it off, then pointed at his set card and watched it flip up. "I reveal the continuous trap card Hieratic Seal From The Ashes! While this card is in play, once per turn, I can send a Hieratic monster from my deck to the graveyard. I use it now to sent Hieratic Seal of the Dragon King to the graveyard!"

"Do whatever you like, it's not going to do you much good." Remy watched him drop the graveyard into the proper slot. "You're not going to be able to get past my Doll Franken easily."

"Just watch me!" Tsubasa drew for his turn, then slid it into his disk. "Trade-In lets me discard a level eight monster to draw two cards!"

Snapping them up, he grinned. "Your monster may outmatch my strongest dragon in brute force, but you forget that dragons are creatures of magic, too! I activate Monster Reborn, reviving Lightpulsar Dragon!"

With a flash and a roar of light, the dragon was back in play while a continuous spell card appeared in front of Tsubasa. "Advance Force lets me tribute a level five or higher monster to tribute summon for a level seven or higher one, so meet my deck's second rarest monster!"

Lightpulsar vanished and then the shadows behind Tsubasa erupted as a titanic form emerged. It loomed over the playing field, its body all angular curves while its metallic body gave off a deadly sheen, black and red playing together to give it an evil coloration. "Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon is here!" (2800/2400)

A pillar of black wind erupted on his field, forming into a Darkstorm Dragon. "I sent Lightpulsar to the graveyard again, so I get one of my dragons back. And thanks to my Metal Dragon's own effect, the second one returns!"

Remy growled as the second Darkstorm Dragon returned. "You can bring all of the dragons together you want, they're still not strong enough!"

"I told you, I wasn't going to take on power with power." Tsubasa waggled a finger and then lifted it into the air. "I plan on a little magic! Open the Overlay Network!"

The two Darkstorm Dragons dissolved into light that poured into the swirling nexus that opened up in front of him. It spun rapidly before shrinking into a glittering white-and-gold armored figure that appeared there. A scalloped-cape that resembled a wing swept out behind them as they pulled a massive curved blade out of the either. "Felgrand, the Divine Dragon Knight is here!" (2800/1800)

"So what's he going to do? He's not strong-" Remy faltered as he saw Felgrand point his blade at Doll Franken. Both blade and fusion glowed, then the doll monster sagged considerably. "What did he just do!?" (4000-0)

"He negated your monster's effect at the cost of one his Overlay Units...and now he's going to destroy your monster at the cost of looking amazing!" The Xyz, despite the heaviness of his ornate armor, charged forwards and cleaved the giant teddy bear in two with such forcefulness that shockwave shot back and nearly sent Remy's card's flying. (RLP: 2300)

The director snared his hat before it could fly too far off his head and then looked up as a shadow fell over him. Phantom red flames were leaking from Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's mouth as it loomed over him and its eyes gleamed with eagerness at what it was about to do. "Oh, this ain't gonna be a barrel of monkeys..."

Tsubasa flinched slightly as the dragon unleashed its fury, completely hiding the Director and his seat from view. "Wow, that's gotta hurt..."

"Not as much as you think." Explosions rippled suddenly in front of Tsubasa's dragon, actually hurling the beast back to his field. Smoke billowed away to reveal Remy sneering slightly. "Kuriboh does wonders to protect someone's life points."

"Mmph...not all that surprised to see a cutsy monster like that in a Doll deck, I suppose..." Tsubasa watched as Red-Eyes picked itself up with an angry roar, its metal body smoking and dented slightly. "Still, it's kind of prolonging the inevitable, don't you think?"

"What?" Remy's face twisted in a frown.

"Well, look at it." Tsubasa faced the audience with a grin on his face and they all cheered. "You're going to lose, Don Remy. No question about it and like I said, I'm the hero. They're here for me to win and knock you back to your senses. You?"

He cast a glance at the Director with a mocking grin. "You're just a bad guy at the moment. This little mess, it'll be nothing but a footnote compared to what you've already done."

"What did you just say, kid?" Remy's frown took an ugly turn.

"You heard me, bear." The Shadowchaser folded his arms, still grinning. "You say you're all worked up, but it's over nothing. You're washed-up, done, kaput. All your best material is behind you and this little thing for attention?"

He snorted. "You went to all this trouble to get your people all worried and get all this attention you want, but all you got is _me._ And me? I'm like, the lowest guy on the Shadowchaser totem pole here. I'm a human, I don't get all fancy magical powers or super abilities or even a unique weapon. All I got are some bad jokes, a duel disk and a Duel Spirit who hangs around for me no real apparent reason other than he's bored."

Behind him, Neo raised a hand. (_I can vouch for the bored part.)_

Tsubasa ignored the spirit, while Remy was looking angrier and angrier. "But being me still puts me above you, since I'm a professional Shadowchaser, duelist and all-around awesome guy. You, though...you..."

A harsh mocking smirk. "You're a professional has-been. How's that been working out for you?"

"That's IT!" Remy roared and the dark aura that been simmering around him before erupted fully, prompting the audience to scream and yell in surprise. "I am _not_ going to take this from you, you little brat! I'm going to crush you!"

The Shadowchaser just chuckled. "If there was anything backing that threat up, I'd be worried..."

"You're going to be _dead!"_

"Big words, little man." Tsubasa lifted his head and tapped his chin with a finger. "Come on, show me what you got. One free shot on your turn. Then I smack you down _hard._"

"I'll show you...!" Remy snarled, the dark aura around lashing wildly as he practically tore his card from his deck. "I summon Manju The Ten Thousand Hands yet again and this time, I'll use it to fetch out a Ritual Monster!"

"Ooh, another one? I'm soooo scared." Tsubasa mocked and grinned as the teddy bear held up the card he had searched for. To anyone else, it looked normal, but to him there was a dark sheen to it that was identical the aura round Remy. (_There's my target…)_

"I activate a second Advanced Ritual Art, sending four more Doll Parts to my graveyard to summon out your death, Shadowhaser!" Remy crowed as he dumped the four cards into his graveyard and slapped down his ritual monster. "I summon Stitches the Patchwork Clown!"

A worn-old treasure chest appeared in front of him. The lid creaked open ominously, revealing the chest to be stuffed with plush animals. But all of them had creepy, crude smiles stitched on their faces and buttons over their eyes. Then the pile shifted, shuffled and a dark form burst violently free. (1000/1000)

"'Bout time you showed up, Stitches." Tsubasa watched as the form came hurtling down at him, wielding a massive, serrated cleaver. There was a blur of fabric as Neo interposed himself between the pair. Metal shrieked as the spirit's own blow deflected the cleaver and sent its owner hurtling back to Remy's field. "I knew if I poked that thing you call an ego, you'd come out of wherever you were hiding."

"You're just adding to the list of reasons I'm going to carve you like a turkey, Shadowhaser!" Stitches was foot-tall stuffed clown. It was easy to see his namesake, given how his body looked like it had been patched together from various other stuffed beings. His face was a permanently sewn on nightmare grin and didn't move when he spoke. The cleaver, easily bigger than Stitches, glittered dangerously as he pointed it at Tsubasa. "Another body for my mountain of death!"

"Yeah, right." Tsubasa shook his head. "You may have been a big name killer all those years ago when you were human, Stitches, but right now? You're nothing more than a C-Lister we use to let the rookies practice on."

"You'll regret those words!" Stitches waved the cleaver around angrily. The dark aura was still burning around Remy, but the Director was motionless as the energy trailed off of him into the Duel Spirit. "In case you hadn't noticed, it's still my turn and I'm going to take your free shot and _gut you!_

He held out a hand and phantasmal images of all eleven Doll Parts in his graveyard appeared behind him. "See all of these!? They power my effects! The more I have, the stronger I am!"

Tsubasa and Neo's eyes widened slightly. "That's not your card's effect at all!"

"Then someone taught this old dog a new trick!" Stitches cackled wickedly as the Doll Part images all flowed into him and he double in size, his cleaver still retaining its ridiculous proportions. "Ahh, that's the good stuff! Right up there with virgin blood and twenty-year-old-scotch! Krryaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Yeah, well, it's not happening! I can use Felgrand's effect negation power on your turn just as easy as mine!" Tsubasa dropped the material card into his graveyard and Felgrand pointed his blade at the Ritual Monster. A second later, both of them began to glow.

"Ohhh, that tickles!" Stitches snickered as his dark aura swallowed up the glow. "Sorry, but since there's at least five Doll Parts in the graveyard, I am immune to your card's targeting effects!"

He dashed across the field, leaping up and driving his clever through Felgrand's face. "Krrryaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha And having at least six means I kill any monster I battle regardless of our scores!"

The Xyz exploded and Tsubasa howled in pain as the pieces of armor smashed across him. "And seven means anything I kill has its attack points ripped right out of your life!" (TLP: 3400)

With another cackle, he was moving and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's screech of anger was cut short as its head was separated from its body. "And eight gives me a second attack! So taste the pain!"

The monster's body rippled, then erupted with powerful waves of dark energy. Tsubasa howled again as he was buffeted and only Neo's hand on his shoulder kept him from sliding back more than a foot. Black steam rose from him in wisps as he slumped slightly. "Christ, that hurt..." (TLP: 600)

"Trust me, that was just the opener!" Stitches jumped back to his spot and tossed his cleaver from hand to hand eagerly. "And before you think you're going to recover from that – puppet! Play that nice, fun spell card in your hand!"

Remy jerked, pulling the card free and slapping it down. Stitches cackled again as Doll Franken rose up beside him. "Guess what, Shadowchaser? His effects triggers when he's Special Summoned!" (0-5000/0)

Tsubasa was holding his chest in pain, but managed to grin all the same. "Is that all?"

"Whaddya mean, that's all?" Stitches barked. "You're almost dead!"

"Almost, but not quite." Tsubasa straightened determinedly. "And I told you- you got one free shot. If you didn't put me down, I was going to put _you_ down."

"Like you hell you can! I am Stitches! I'm a freaking immortal Duel Spirit and I can skin you alive!" The Ritual monster glared and danced around angrily. "I was killing before you were even born, you punk brat!"

"Save your trash talk for garbage day, clown." Tsubasa snapped a card up from his deck for his turn. "I'm a Springweather, I'm a Shadowchaser and I live in freakin Backwater! You think a talking evil card is going to scare me? Or that because you're evil and magical, I'm going to panic? It's my job to deal with everything _like _you."

"So what?!"

"So that mean I'm going to bust your ass in this duel and throw you in discount bin with the rest of the useless dollar cards!" Tsubasa slammed a spell card into his disk. "Swing of Memories revives one Normal Monster in my graveyard and since my Hieratic Seal of the Dragon King counts as one in the graveyard..."

A golden glow appeared in front of him, resolving into a large golden sphere decorated with elaborate carvings. Stitches laughed at the sight. "Oooh, a big egg! I'm so worried! I'd be more concerned if you summoned the chicken that could lay something that size! Kyrraa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Joke while you can, Stitches. This egg, as you call it, is level six. And that means, thanks to Advance Force...I can tribute it to summon this deck's rarest card!" Tsubasa slapped down the monster as the Hieratic Seal vanished into sparkles of light. Immediately, a dark pillar of coruscating dark energy erupted in front of him.

What emerged was a towering dragon in heavy black scales. Egg-sized rubies glittered in the stage's lights, running down the sides of its neck and the rest of its body. Its roar shook the air and it glared down at the field hungrily. "Grandora the Dragon of Destruction! At the cost of half of my life points, it destroys and banishes all cards on the field besides the field to gain three hundred for each one! And with exactly eight cards, that means its twenty-four hundred attack points are more than enough to crush you! _Boundless Giga Rays!_" (TLP: 600-300)

Stitches stared up at the dragon as light began to spill from the rubies on its body, brighter and brighter. Soon it was a solid glow and Doll Franken roared as it was destroyed instantly by a beam hitting it. "I'm not going down like this!"

His form became ethereal and the darkness pouring from Remy into him began to reverse course, the spirit himself sprinting straight for the Director. Then a sword severed darkness and a foot slammed into his side, hurling him into the upstage wall.

There was an explosion of brilliant red light and roar as Grandora's effect went off, but the Duel Spirit ignored it to scramble to his feet to see Neo standing over him. "Cheap shot, pretty boy...!"

_(More than enough lives have paid the price to keep you entertained, Stitches)_ Neo held the tip of his sword to the clown's throat as Tsubasa deactivated his duel disk and approached the pair and the Toybox Troop crowded around their slowly stirring Director. (_It's over this time.)_

"Really? I don't think so – while I was possessing that Director, I did more than make him lunch!" Stitches sneered up at the pair. "Patches! Time to play!"

"Patches..." Tsubasa tilted his head, then he and Neo hurled themselves backwards as group of five cables shot out of the darkness above the stage. They punched through the floorboard sharply, the wood destroyed like it was tissue paper. "What the hell are those!?"

"Fly cables – strong and thick steel cable meant to hold scenery and crap during a play." Stitches grabbed one and swung himself up around onto them. Behind him, the curtains tore themselves free of their mounts and began to twist and weave into new shapes. "But when they're fired by my cloth golem at more than twenty miles per hour, they'll cut through your body like it was balsa wood!"

Tsubasa drew his sword as the curtains wove themselves into a rough humanoid shape that towered nearly sixteen feet, Stitches taking up a spot on the construct's shoulder. "Cute, but cloth is still cloth and I've got a nice, sharp, sword!"

He dashed forwards as Patches swung a hand around at him, the fly cables whipping through the space he had been standing. Twisting around a lumbering kick, Tsubasa drove his blade straight into the creature's gut. "Let's give you a new belly button!"

Then he watched as his blade merely sank into the curtains like they were water, the fabric not even showing the slightest tear. "Uh-oh..."

"That's not the half of it!" Stitches' voice nearly drowned out Tsubasa's yelp as one of the whirling cables snared the Shadowchaser's ankle and Patches hoisted him up to level with the clown puppet. "It's freaking magical cloth, brat! Even if you drew it taut, your blade wouldn't do nothing to it all! Patches, crack the whip!"

Tsubasa screamed as the golem did so, releasing him at the arc of the throw and sending him crashing into and through a couple of seats in the audience. Patches took two great steps forwards and whipped out a lanky arm, the cables forming its fingers snapping forwards miniature rockets. "Who wants some Shadowchaser shish-kabob!? Kryaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!""

Stitches' laughter cut off as he glanced down at the wreckage and his eyes bugged out. "You got to freaking kidding me!"

"Nope, but I'm still the only one laughing..." Tsubasa coughed as he tried to do so. Impossibly, his body was contorted and twisted at near impossible angles to avoid the cables that had pulverized the floor around him. "Well, as much as I can with a few cracked ribs..."

"Let's see you try it with broken ones!" Patches retracted his fingers and roared, snapping out for a second a time.

Tsubasa rolled out of the way and impressively threw himself into the air with a single hand on the back of a seat. Even as the cables arced for him, he twisted in the air to avoid their ends by a hair's breadth. He even caught one and used it to twirl himself up and around the second set of cables hissing for him. "You guys couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!"

"What the hell are you doing!?" Stitches watched in frustration as Tsubasa actually _sprinted_ down one of the cables towards the golem's head, each part of his body moving independently from the rest to avoid the remaining ones as they attempted to pierce him. "No human can move like that! You're like a freaking-"

"Snake?" Tsubasa didn't seem bothered as the cable he was running on lost its tension, snaring another one and practically slithering around it to swing himself up into the air.

He grinned as he landed foot first into Patches' face, the blowing sinking into the cloth slightly. But it was more than enough to stagger the creature and send it reeling into the wall. "I've got an ophidia girlfriend. She taught me a few tricks."

Then he flipped away as a hand swiped at him futilely, landing on the back of a seat with perfect balance. "I can't really do any of the cool moves, since I don't have a snake body, but it's done wonders for my flexibility!"

Wood flew as the floor underneath him blew apart and the cables snared his arms and legs like vices. Patches rumbled, yanking that arm up as he stood. Tsubasa grunted in pain as he was slammed against the floor. "Okay, she likes it this way, but scales feel better than steel..."

"You'll be finding yourself dead in the next minute!" Stitches leapt off of his creation's shoulder, hurtling down with cleaver raised over his head with both hands. "Say your last goodbyes!"

"Like hell you're killing him!" Don Remy came flying out nowhere, tackling Stitch to the ground. His cigar seemed to burn in time to his anger as he started slugging the other toy being repeatedly. "You posses me, worry my people...'

He hoisted Stitches above his head and hurled him away back on the stage ferociously. "And most importantly, you wreck my theater, and disrespect my stage!"

Stitches landed hard, but bounced to his feet and twirled his cleaver eagerly. "That's not all I'm going to wreck, snuggles! Let's see if you're made of the right stuffing! Kyraa-ha-ha-ha-ah-"

Don Remy's hat hissed through the air and Stitches watched his cleaver-holding arm drop off that shoulder with wide eyes. "...ha?..."

Steel glinted on the hat's edge as it whirled back to Remy's hand. The rest of the Never-Born gathered behind their leader determinedly. "Toybox Troupe, these two things just damaged our home and gave a horrible showing for it."

He flipped his hat onto his head and chomped on his cigar with a predator's grin. "Take the admission outta their hides!"

"YES, DIRECTOR!" The toys all surged forwards. Commander Cracker and his troops were first in the lead, riding on nearly two dozen clockwork birds and other animals. They swarmed around Patches, firing as they came. Despite their small size, each bullet exploded with blue and yellow blasts as they struck, hammering the golem.

Patches roared and tried to swipe the clockworks animals, but they were too small to grasp in his hands and the lashing cables were easily dodged. As he stumbled about, a group of transforming toys were charging from behind. In unison, they all switched to vehicle modes and poured on the speed. As Patches took a step forwards to try and grab at clockwork birds, they zipped down underneath his foot.

With a mighty crash, Patches toppled over. Cables hissed through after the vehicles, but then Miss Tuffet's own cable wrapped around and bound them together. With a mighty pull, she and the dozen other stuffed animals helping her yanked the cables taunt.

Tsubasa groaned as he gingerly picked himself up, taking Neo's proffered hand as the spirit appeared in front of him. "Thanks..."

(_You will have to thank your girlfriend for her lessons, squire.)_ Neo said playfully. (_The lady's training has served you well today, and in servicing her...)_

Tsubasa groaned, though it was more from the pun than pain. "Lame wordplay, man...but you're right. I'll give Hebi-Na a call when I'm done."

"Shadowchaser!" Commander Cracker, riding the back of a clockwork armadillo, skidded to a halt next to the pair. "Are you uninjured!? We need you to help finish that bloody fabric titan off!"

"Yeah, I can see that..." Tsubasa watched as Atlas and a number of other smaller statues all dropped themselves across the golem's body. But the magical fabric weaved, rippled and slithered free to reform into the golem once again. "At least Stitches didn't manage to make it intelligent..."

(_But how are we going to kill it? Our blades aren't effective...and I assume that the curtains it's made out of are firepoof...) _Neo grimaced as Cracker nodded.

"Yeah...we need to stop it from being able to..." Tsubasa suddenly smiled and gestured for Cracker to get off his mount. After the toy soldier had done so, he picked up the little animal. "Hey, you're mostly magic proof, right?"

The clockwork being chattered an affirmative.

"Good." He turned to his partner. "You remember that one place we got dumped in? All white and stuff?"

Neo's narrowed slightly and he nodded with a smile as he grasped Tsubasa's plan. (_I do.)_

"Good. Open a portal there. And you, little guy..." Tsubasa put the armadillo down and patted it on the head. "Just run right through it and coming out the other side in a ball."

It chattered at him again and vanished into the portal as Neo slashed it open. _(Go! I can only delay the portal's opening for so long!)_

Tsubasa took off, running across the seat backs before leaping onto the stage. "I need a lift!"

Cawing, several of the rider-less birds flew towards him and he used them like stepping stones, vaulting himself higher into the air. "HEY! PATCHES!"

The golem, who was busy in another tug-of-war with Miss Tuffer and her crew, glanced up at him with a roar.  
"Time to chill, bro!" The portal opened right above him and out came the balled up armadillo, glittering blue and covered in frost. Tsubasa's bicycle kick smashed into it perfectly, rocketing the construct through the air and right into Patche's open mouth. "He shoots, he scores!"

Patches didn't seem to be affected by the attempt, rearing back an arm to whip Tsubasa out of the air. But there was a suddenly, horrible cracking sound and ice erupted out of Patches' body. In seconds, the golem was frozen solid.

Everyone stared at it for a long, silent moment. Then Don Remy huffed and flicked his hat at it.

As the accessory bounced off, Patches toppled over backwards and shattered into infinitesimal pieces that rapidly melting to nothingness and left the armadillo to safely scuttle back to its comrades.

"You bastard, do you know how much work I put into that?" Tsubasa turned to see a battered, single-armed Stitches lurching towards him. The cleaver was held tightly in his hand and his button eyes were narrowed in anger. "I'm going to murder you, but _good."_

"Kind of hard to murder someone from all the way down there, doll." The Shadowchaser smirked at him. "Would you like a stool?"

Stitches' response was to raise the cleaver, give an enraged, maniacal shriek and rush forwards as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"Enough." Stitches had barely crossed a third of the necessary distance with the voice suddenly echoed. "You are through, spirit."

Tsubasa and the Troupe stared as dozens of blank, black, Duel Monsters cards flew out of nowhere and become tornado that swallowed Stitches up.

The cards all froze in midair and seemed to melt together, morphing into a tall, dark-haired man. He wore a heavy greatcoat buttoned all the from neck-to-feet and thick, sturdy-looking sunglasses. Lifting a hand, he watched as Stitches' card appeared in his grasp. "You failed to grasp the truth of yourself...and it is as the Shadowchaser said. You are a has-been choking on past glories."

"What are-? No wait-" Tsubasa watched as the man casually tore the card in two, magical shriek erupting as the two pieces simply dissolved into nothingness. "What the hell!?"

"Why are you excited, Mister Springweather? I thought you would be pleased to be rid of an annoying, minor enemy." The man readjusted his sunglasses and stowed his hands in his pockets. "That's the truth, isn't it?"

"Truth..." Tsubasa grit his teeth, Neo bracing himself alongside him as the Toybox Troupe gathered behind him. "I suppose you'd know what this is, right, Trueman?"

"No, I know several truths, but I do not know_ the_ Truth, Tsubasa Springweather." Trueman seemed unconcerned by the force arrayed against him. "I gave that human-turned-spirit a new card body and effect to help me discover what the Truth is, but alas, he failed."

"The Truth? You're an aspect of Nightshroud! The only thing you want is to see his return to this world!" Tsubasa gripped his sword. "The Neo Domino Shadowchasers didn't finish you off all those years ago, but you were stuck working for that aboleth."

He pointed his blade fiercely at the other man "You working with Skeleton Knight now, are you?"

"Skeleton Knight? " Trueman shook his head and then smiled slightly. "I have been here in Backwater for nearly eight years. I do not know anything more about that being than you do."

"You've been...here..." Tsubasa grit his teeth while behind him, the Troupe gasped. "What the hell have you been doing here!?"

"Watching. Listening. Studying. Learning. Living amongst the species of this world has been enlightening...for with Nightshroud and Darkness, there is only a singular existence. Here, there is nothing _but_ variety." His smile grew wider. "And in this world, I have found my real purpose, the reason I give myself to exist. The _truth_ to my name!"

"I'll be glad to hear you exposit in a jail cell!" Tsubasa's blade came down at the being, but as it bit into Trueman's shoulder, he simply erupted into a swirling tornado of cards. "God dammit!"

"This city...it is unlike any other in existence. Here, where magic, mundane, life and death and everything else collides, I can find it. I can find the Truth." Trueman reformed a few yards away, spreading his hands wide. "Existence was born in darkness...and to darkness it will return. Nightshroud wished to make darkness absolute and the aboleth wished to use it create something new...I exist in this same darkness..."

His smile was broad, strong and delighted. "What _is_ darkness...the answer to that question will be the Truth, Mister Springweather! The Truth of why anything exists at all and it will undeniable, irrefutable and undying!"

His hands came up and he deftly caught both Tsubasa's and Neo's blades. "But I do not expect you to understand. Nor do I care if you do or not. In reality, I only desire one thing from you Shadowchasers."

Neo and Tsubasa grunted in pain as they were smashed together and Trueman's fist snapped Tsubasa's blade in half as he landed a powerful punch on the human's gut. The force of the blow through Tsubasa back into the seats hard enough to wreck them. "Fight me. Do not hold back. Come at me with everything you posses."

Trueman relaxed, watching as Tsubasa picked himself up. "You eight, who somehow know the whole truth of your own existence without even realizing it, can show me what the darkness is."

"Give me five seconds...we can have throwdown right now..."Tsubasa and Neo glared at him as they stood.

"No, I do not seek simply mindless fighting...to be solved, any equation must be held down to a single variable... Trueman burst into cards, all of them vanishing into the darkness. "I have scattered my gifts across this city, Tsubasa Springweather. Enjoy them as you like..."

Tsubasa watched the cards fade and swore, throwing the remains of his sword at the ground in frustration. "What the hell now!? Seriously, yesterday it was that walking pile of bones and now its a guy made out of blank cards! What is it, 'Buy one, get one for free' sale on villains? It's almost like a bad fanfic!"

_(Or a good one.)_Neo rubbed the back of his head gingerly. _(Straight up hero on villain fights are predictable. Throw another villain in there and things get interesting.)_

"Yeah, well, we didn't need the one who just told he's been hiding out here for eight freaking years and has littered the city with cursed cards!" Tsubasa growled and folded his arms in a huff, kicking at a piece of debris. "Now what do we do?"

"Pretty simple, kid." Remy walked up him, brushing off his jacket. "And thanks for saving my hide from that damn card spirit. I just took the thing to look at it and then he tried to jump inside."

"You're welcome." Tsubasa sighed in a tired fashion and glanced down at the teddy bear. "So what do we do?"

Remy smirked around his cigar. "We take bets on who wins in Skeleton Knight versus Trueman."

Tsubasa buried his face in his hands.

(_I put my money on Skeleton Knight.)_

"NEO!"

TTTTTTT

A/N: _Well, I just keep pulling out surprises, don't I? _

_So let's keep them rolling. And learn a little more about Backwater's more eccentric residents in the process. Next Chapter: Duels, Junk and Rock'n'Roll! _

_As a side note, Tvtropes entries for Stitches and Patches should be one entry, if anyone was wondering. _

_For everyone else, Tsubasa's Dragon deck contains no level four or lower monsters and has no way to generate such monsters. _

Backwater Case File #1: Edgar Hummond A.K.A 'Stitches'.

Fifty years ago, Backwater was plagued by a series of serial murders that seemed to have no real rhyme or reason behind the targets, though all the victims were desecrated in the same manner- their lips stitched into grins and buttons sewn onto their eyes. Hence the media dubbing the killer 'Stitches'.

Edgar Hummond, however, was finally revealed by to be the man behind the name after he unluckily selected a Springweather as a random victim. He was beat off rather violently and was wounded, though he managed to escape.

But thanks to blood he lost, the police were able to place a magical trace on him and tracked him down to the toy store he owned. With the police breaking down his door and not a lot of life left, Edward attempted to complete a ritual that would transfer his soul to a phylactery and give his physical body immortality.

He screwed it up.

Instead, just as he died, his soul was transferred into a doll nearby. The police found his dead boy and the failed ritual and assumed that he had been unable to complete it. The case was swiftly closed.

It was years before 'Stitches' awakened, the toy have been sold with many others in the intervening years. He found himself in a toybox and promptly crawled his way free, much to the delightful glee of the little child who was his owner. Surprised by his circumstances, but not stupid, Stitches played up the charming magical companion.

At least until he was to try his ritual again. Missing only the blood necessary to draw the glyphs in, he brutally slaughtered the child and their family with a cleaver he stole and set to work.

He screwed it up again.

His soul was again transferred, but this time to a Duel Monsters card located in the child's room. Moreoever, he had screwed up the ritual so badly that it had exploded on him, hurling the cards everywhere and a gust of wind snatched his new home up and sent it fluttering over the city.

Since then, Stitches has never again been able to kill. Not for lack of trying. He often would masquerade his card as a different one and worm his way into his host's mind, trying to take over. He even mastered possession after a point and started doing that to ensure his card would be played and he could take physical form on the duel field.

But his luck remained horrible. His original effect was lackluster, especially for a Ritual Monster. And his control and strength over his hosts was weak and tedious, with even children often overcoming his attempts. About the only thing he remains lucky in that his card always seems to escape from the authorities' grasp.

Over the intervening years, his credence as any kind of threat hit zero and then plummeted into the negative digits. As Tsubasa said, Stitches is often something the team lets Shadowchaser apprentices deal with to ease them into the more terrible things they would have to face.

How he encountered Trueman is unknown, but it appears not even a boost from a force of darkness could help Stitches become something dangerous. With his destruction at Trueman's hands, it seems his luck has finally...unraveled.

Created Cards

Stitches:

Doll Franken  
DARK  
6 stars  
Zombie/Fusion/Effect  
0/0  
Effect: 2 or more 'Doll Parts' monsters.  
This card cannot deal Battle Damage under any circumstances. When this card is Special Summoned, destroy all Spell/Trap cards you control. When this card is Special Summoned, equip as many 'Doll Parts' monsters from your Graveyard to this card as you can. This card gains the following effect(s) depending on the number of 'Doll Parts' monsters equipped to it.

1+: This card gains 1000 ATK for each 'Doll Part' equipped to this card.

3+: When this card would be destroyed, you may send one 'Doll Part' equipped to this card to the Graveyard instead.  
5: When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle, you may send one 'Doll Part' equipped to this card to the Graveyard. This card may attack again immediately.

Tsubasa:

Dragon's Hoard  
Continuous Spell Card  
Effect: Each time you Special Summon a Dragon-type monster(s), place one Hoard Counter on this card. You may remove 'Hoard Counters' on this card to activate the following effect(s), depending on the number removed.  
2: Send this card to the Graveyard. Draw two cards.  
4: Add one Dragon-type monster from your Deck or Graveyard to your Hand.  
6: Special Summon one Dragon-type monster from your Deck. It cannot attack during the turn it Special Summoned by this effect.

_Note: This card is Limited. _

Traitor Amongst The Ranks  
Normal Spell Card  
Effect: Special Summon one 'Traitor Token' (EARTH/2 stars/Warrior/500/500/Effect: When this token leaves the field, inflict 500 damage to its controller.) to your opponent's side of the field.


	3. Junk, Duels and Rock'n'Roll

Knightfall  
By 7th Librarian

A/N_: Fun fact for the day: If the Backwater Team were a band, Kenshin and Rave would play trumpets, Tsubasa would play a trombone, Gurren would play the drums, Rayearth would play a grand piano, Fayte and Maria would play bass guitars and Tsukihime would sing._

_They'd be called the 'Crazy Eights' and their first song would be entitled 'Tearing Up The Masquerade'._

Chapter 3: Duels, Junk and Rock'n'Roll

Torches, mounted on the goodly number of support columns, illuminated portions of the vast stone chamber, its ceiling so high that its details were lost to the dark. But they were enough in number that one could see clearly, if they did not mind the slight haze of darkness that seem to permeate the entire structure.

Skeleton Knight strode into the chamber, sweeping his gaze over the gathered Crusaders who were milling about. "Why are you still here? Go to your chambers, arrange them how you see fit."

"You said we'd be taking the fight to the Shadowchasers, not hiding in the dark! But that's what we've been doing for the last few days!" One of them snapped, the others muttering and grumbling agreement.

"We have a long campaign ahead of us and to rush our enemies would be fruitless." The knight rasped at them. "You have been given power, but are not used to it. You are not ready to face the Shadowchasers."

"Says you!" The one who had spoken before challenged. "You got wrecked by that fox chick, so I just think you're chicken!"

Skeleton Knight stared at them for a long moment, then sighed. "No matter the age, the foolishness of mortals remains the same..."

He extended a hand to point behind them and the Crusaders turned, eyes widening as they saw nearly twice their number in armed skeletons shamble out from the darkness. "These are but the simplest of creatures I can command. To the Shadowchasers, they are not even nuisances. Overcoming them is the start of your training...but I doubt that you will succeed."

With that, he stepped back as more skeleton warriors emerged from the darkness and charged the Crusaders, most of them stepping back in sudden fear. A few of the braver ones met the charge head-on, but quickly found their sloppy bunches merely staggered the skeletons without doing any lasting damage.

Skeleton Knight watched as the skeletons swarmed, the angry cries of the Crusaders quickly turning to fear and pain. Then he turned and walked towards the back of the chamber. "Wallace, your men are pathetic..."

Wallace detached himself from the pillar he had been leaning on to watch and fell into step behind the knight. "You get what you pay for."

"I gave you power, I expect competency in return." Skeleton Knight returned as behind them, the sounds of battle drew dimmer. "None of those fools had the talent I had hoped they would...not even you."

"And what talent would that be?" Wallace lifted a curious eyebrow.

"We cannot simply battle the Shadowchasers through force of arms and I do not expect their talents in the dueling field to be any greater. Nor do we possess the rare cards necessary, either." Skeleton Knight informed him. "We cannot match their rather unique magics just yet."

"What about your dark cards? Surely you can create more of them, just as you did with the Darkspawn." Wallace pointed out.

"Those cards are gifts from my masters and not to be taken lightly. You would have to show much more dedication to my faith than I think any of you are capable of to request such a boon." Skeleton Knight said sharply. "No, I will search outside the Crusaders for the duelists we need."

Wallace fell out of step as they approached the chamber's far end. A throne was seated on a dais and behind it, was an altar of a strange design and giant symbols on the wall behind he swore he recognized. And the entire thing was bathed in sourceless phantom flames of black and purple.

Almost more impressive and distracting was what lay in front of the dais. It was a pool of liquid shadow, blended with the same flames that surrounded the throne and altar. A magical pentagram enclosed the pool and glowed softly as the contents shifted and swirled like they were clouds on a windy day. "What is this?"

"A powerful scrying tool...for the last hundred years, I have had it scouring the planet for something important." Skeleton Knight mounted the dais, the flames hardly harming him. Indeed, he seemed more invigorated by them. "I have stretched myself too thin in attacking the Shadowchasers directly...I must not be so reckless in the future...even with a host, my gods can only prolong my life so far..."

"A host?" Wallace didn't follow up on his idle question. As far as he was concerned, Skeleton Knight could have been two midgets in a costume and as long as he got the power he wanted, he didn't care.

Instead, he focused on the pool, peering carefully into its murky depths. "What are you looking for that could take over a hundred years to find...?"

"Ages ago, my gods blessed me with a powerful beast for an ally. But in a battle, it was taken from me and lost to the shadows..." Skeleton Knight settled down in his throne. "Finding it is but a portion of the power we will need, however. I must commune with my gods and find the signs..."

"Signs? What signs?" Wallace looked up, but Skeleton Knight was already motionless and despite not possessing eyes, it was easy to tell his gaze was far, far away.

And as Skeleton Knight slid further into his trance and his consciousness reached through all the darkness of his gods' presence on Earth, one thought was pressing him forwards.

_Where are you?_

TTTTTTT

In the complete darkness of her bedroom, Tsukihime's silvery-green eyes snapped open.

She had not heard a noise nor had an alarm go off, it was simply time for her to wake as judged by her internal clock. And the zero light in the room did not bother her, for she could see just as well as if it had been daylight.

Sitting up and ignoring the sheets as they slid off her naked form, Tsukhime chuckled slightly as she noticed the torn and ripped articles of clothing scattered around the bedroom floor. She nudged the lump of blankets next to her slightly. "I think we need to refill the wardrobe again, love..."

The lump of blankets that was Fayte merely shifted grumpily and actually let out an annoyed hiss as Tsukihime nudged her again.

This time, the succubus actually did laugh and leaned over to kiss the part of the lump that she knew was Fayte's head. "You vampires and your inability to cope with mornings...like cats and water. Adorable."

Another hiss just made her giggle and prompted her to slide out of the bed to avoid the grumpy vampire's wrath. Stepping lightly across the floor, she deftly exited the bedroom and pulled the door closed behind her. Tail swishing in time to the swing of her hips, she made her way to her closet.

She sighed to herself as she began to fish around for underwear. It was such an absurd mortal thing she had never quite grasped. They were all so enamored of sex and dirty secrets, and all those ads showing tantalizing women and men and half-nakedness was the staple for any movie most of the time. One would have thought mortals would have been right at home with sex and nudity.

But no, they were so prudish and insisted that all of the things they so wantonly displayed be covered up completely in public and not only by one layer of clothing, but _several_. Tsukihime, as a natural-born tempter, could see the allure of dressing like that- it gave one more of a show, more to tantalize with. She supposed that was the reason succubi were summoned – mortals were so uncomfortable with their bodies, that they preferred to get sexual with a being who idealized their lusts than each other because they didn't like what they saw.

Still, Jalal had insisted she at least follow this part of otherwise non-existent Shadowchaser dress code and she grudgingly admitted that that as an unofficial 'guest' of this plane of existence, courtesy dictated she try to honor local customs. But that didn't mean she had to give them anymore than lip service.

Sliding on a pair of black panties, she followed up with a bra that was definitely did more for her appearance than it did for any actual support of her generous endowments. That done, she moved on to the part of her morning that she enjoyed the most – putting on her garment as a cleric of Erestrial.

It had cost her a small fortune, but she had located and purchased a book on Erestrial and her pantheon from the Planar Trading Commission. Translating it had taken another small fortune, but she had been delighted to find that there were no set standard for a cleric's wear. The only requirement had been that Erestrial's symbol be prominently displayed.

That discovery had prompted a wild spree of outfit shopping, designing and making, and the succubus giggled at the memory of Fayte's expression when the vampire had returned home find most of their quarters littered with scraps of clothing and half-finished outfits like a sewing store had exploded there. But the results had been worth – she now had a variety of outfits to choose from instead of the same thing day in and out.

Her favorite was the one she pulled out today. Resembling a Catholic priest's cassock, it had a tight collar, was long-sleeved was snug on her upper body and displayed a plunging V neckline that was held together over her endowments by a sheer black lacework of Erestrial's symbol. The outfit flared out at her hips, giving it a 'billowing trenchcoat' look. Coupled with a pair of black stockings and her knee-high, sensibly flat-heeled boots, it did everything it was supposed to without showing anything it wasn't.

But the best part, she decided as she donned the outfit, was the fact she had managed to make it a beautiful mix of hot-pink and bright blue and given it a hood.

Slipping on her boots, Tsukihime exited the room and made her way down the hallway. Passing by her teammate's and the Watchguard's quarters, she slid inside a pair of larger doors at the end of the hall

Candles magically lit themselves as she opened the doors, bathing the room in a serene glow. Her chapel to Erestrial was small, but functional and could easily seat her teammates, the Watchguard and ten or so other people. A giant stained-glassed window of Erestrial dominated the space behind the altar and smaller windows of the remaining deities in the pantheon were spaced along the far wall. Based off of Teresa's paintings from so long ago, each was a majestic piece of craftwork. Like all of the mansion's windows, they were magically warded and polarized to prevent the dangerous aspects of sunlight from coming in and torching Fayte. But they still caught the early morning sunlight in a beautiful way, illuminating themselves while at the same time preventing the sunlight from overwhelming the candle's glow.

Slipping between the pews, Tsukihime approached the altar and murmured a soft prayer to her deity. She would offer a more formal series of prayers later, but now she had to focus on what she had come for.

The altar had Erestrial's symbol decorated on the top and laying atop that symbol were a pair of swords. They were as long as Tsukhime was tall, and had an odd shape, the lower third of the blades just above the hands curving out in a half-circle before resuming a slightly angled path – one that would leave the top two-thirds of the weapons tilted towards the wielder if the hilts were held parallel to the wielder's body.

Candelight gleamed along their golden lengths. They were not forged from actual gold, but a material she had learned was called _crysmantheum_ and their coloration came from the whims of whoever had forged them. She had to admit, they looked very good as gold and picturing them in another color was difficult.

Collectively, the two swords were called a '_Dryius'_ and were not actually the weapon of Erestrial, but of Dryanius – a war god on her side of the pantheon who wielded four different weapons in his four arms. Erestrial's clerics had had no chosen weapon that she could find, but Tsukihime had discovered that there was a way to consecrate any of the of other deities' weapons to Erestrial's service.

A ritual, she noted, that had worked admirably. As she pulled the two weapons from the altar, she could see that the symbol of Dryanius had been replaced by Erestrial's. More than that, they felt lighter and more comfortable in her hands rather than heavy and unwieldy as they had been before thanks to their new spiritual alignment.

She stowed the weapons over her shoulders, sparing only a passing thought as to how they simply magically attached themselves to her shoulder blades so safely and headed for the door.

They needed to be tested.

TTTTTTT

Gurren and Rave were both waiting for her in the gym. Both were dressed in martial arts _gi_, though Rave's were a faint blue color tied with a red belt as opposed to Gurren's traditional white outfit and black belt.

The golem was first to notice Tsukihime. "You wish to practice fighting in that outfit?"

"It's going to be my standard wear, so I need to know how to work and fight in it best." Tsukihime told him. "Not to mention I swear that it seems no one ever really changes their outfit around here daily. No matter where any of really go, we always were the same outfits."

"Admittedly true." Gurren acknowledged with a half-smile. "I would myself quite uncomfortable were I not wearing my standard suit out in the field."

"Hey, if she wants to wear that, I'm all for it. She's a succubus, so giving the enemy an eyeful means more distractions for them." Rave grinned, a hand on her hip. " 'sides, not like there's anything wrong with what the sexy cleric is wearing. If that's traditional wear for the faith, I'll gladly convert."

"A conversion comes from inside, not from what you want out of it, Rave." Tsukihime was smiling, though, as she drew her own blades. "And you can flatter me later, after I've beaten you."

"With your little experience with your Dryius, perhaps you had better spar with me or Rayearth first." Gurren said. "We are far less likely to take damage from a mistimed hit or mistake."

"Oh, she's got experience, Gurren. I've seen her practicing the _katas_ for those weapons more than once. She just needs some real practice." Rave flicked a card up out of her belt and her eyes glowed as the Twin Swords of Flashing Light appeared in her grasp. "So take five, big guy. Let's see what she's made of."

Tsukihime threw up her blades in a cross just in time to catch Rave's suddenly lunging attack, but the force and momentum behind the hit shoved her back a few steps. Then their weapons were blurs of color and motion as Rave promptly began hammering away at her.

Metal against metal was a cacophony as they two fought, Tsukihime finding herself giving up more and more ground to keep her defenses up against the Psychic's onslaught. Each of Rave's blades was always in motion, a complex rhythm that never left an opening to take advantage of.

Finally, the succubus jumped back to put distance between the two and as Rave began to follow, lunged in a combo that had one sword attempting to pierce Rave's throat and the other blade sweeping low to take off her legs at the knees.

But Rave was already countering, the flat of one blade rising up in front of her face to catch the point of the piercing sword, while the other Twin Sword was literally driven into the floor partway to deflect the sweeping sword with ease.

Their weapons remained like that for a moment, Tsukihime staring in surprise at Rave's actions.

The Psychic gave her only a smile. "I've practiced with these for over twenty years. You've got a lot of catching up to do."

Then she was in motion again, this time adding in spins and varied speed attacks to her barrage. Tsukihime grit her teeth and dug her heels in, only the fact her demonic strength was superior to that of the human's allowing her keep Rave from simply battering her blades aside.

But even that failed as Rave slammed the Twin Swords into Tsukihime's cross-block and pushed, actually shoving the succubus back across the hardwood floor like it was mirror-smooth.

"Do not rely solely on your weapons, Tsukihime." Gurren's calm voice still was loud enough to be heard over the grinding of their weapons. "Use your own abilities as well!"

Tsukihime's eyes widened slightly as she heard that, then narrowed as a sly grin crossed her face. With an extra effort, she halted her slide and shoved back. Rave backpedaled a step to keep her balance and Tsukhime seized the moment to use her weapons to throw Rave's own wide and leaving both of their torsos exposed.

Driving one of her swords the floor to hold it up, the succubus stepped forwards and fisted Rave's hair to yank her forwards for a powerful kiss.

The Psychic gave a pleased 'mmmph!' of surprise and Tsukihime idly noted the younger woman tasted rather sweet before shoving her away. Rave stumbled in surprise and daze from the confusion and magic the succubus had put into the kiss, as Tsukhime whirled on her heel to snare her abandoned blade from the floor and at the same time, use her tail to whip one of the Twin Blades out of Rave's hand. The weapon flew nearly a yard before it hit the ground and shattered like glass into nothingness.

Now it was Rave's turn to give up ground as Tsukihime pressed her advantage. Her remaining blade was blur as kept up a nearly endless series of parries. Then the Psychic suddenly stopped retreating and began to knock Tsukhime's weapons back instead of just blocking.

Tsukihime stepped up her attacks, a quick feint from her tail pointed at Rave's neck forcing the other woman to skip back. As she did, Tsukihime jumped slightly and came down at her with both blades drawn back for strikes that would sever Rave's arms from her shoulders.

Impossibly fast, Raven twisted to her side to avoid the path of the blades and leaned sideways, landing a full-length snap-kick straight into the descending Tsukihime's stomach. The succubus' eyes widened as the blow hit and actually threw her up and backwards.

Ignoring the pain, Tsukihime manifested her wings. While they couldn't true flight, they were enough to let her glide and extend her time in the air. She snapped the hilts of her Dryius together and as they locked into place, drew back an invisible string as energy gathered into a pink arrow that she unleashed with her newly formed longbow.

Rave darted to the side to dodge the first arrow and her eyes flashed as she manifested a replacement for her Twin Sword. But Tsukihime's shots were still coming and fast enough that dodging one would lead to getting pierced by another.

So Rave did the impossible again and crossed her weapons, using that portion to deflect and block the rain of arrows. Tsukihime let out an exasperated cry as she landed and kept firing. "What are you!? A Jedi!?"

"Practice. Lots." Rave grunted out as she kept up her blocks, her face a mask of concentration. Then Tsukihime took a moment to charge up a slightly more powerful shot and as Rave blocked it, the Twin Swords shattered.

Without skipping a beat, she rolled to the side and produced a small sphere that she dashed on the ground. Instantly, it erupted into smoke that swallowed her up.

Tsukihime remained tense, a knocked and charged arrow sliding here and there in anticipation of Rave's next surprise.

It was only the sound of a single heavy footfall that belatedly reminded her that Gurren was _behind _her and then a leg slammed into her back and sent her hurling forwards.

She felt herself bounce across the floor hard, felt her Dyrius slip from her grasp and she rolled and skipped for a bit longer before sliding to a halt on her back with a groan. A moment or two later, the faces of her teammates appeared in her vision. "This is _not_ how I like two on one, you two..."

"You need to be prepared for surprises like that. You shouldn't have been so focused on your weapons and Rave that you lost track of my position." Gurren admonished her, like a patient teacher would a student. Both he and Rave seized one of Tsukihime's outstretched hands and help the succubus to her feet. "Using two weapons at once requires a better sense of spatial awareness than you displayed today."

"You were fine when fighting me front to front, but I could see in your movements that unless your swords were in your line of sight, you weren't really treating them like they existed. Which is fine for when you use a single weapon, because you still feel its weight in your hand. But with two, you need to be aware of them at all times." Rave added as she produced the two halves of the Dryius. "But that'll come with practice and we have plenty of time and partners for you to get a good grasp of your handling."

"That sounds just a touch dirty there, Rave." Tsukihime teased and the two women exchanged snickers as the succubus took her weapon back. "I thought I had you with the bow form."

"It is good versatility." Gurren said. "But not much good against on its own. Unless you can charge your arrows to be more powerful more quickly, most of the enemies you fight will simply shrug them off."

"Or block them." Tsukihime huffed slightly. "I don't even know how you did that."

Rave shrugged. "I told you, I've been practicing and sparring with my weapons for over twenty years. Arrows are my limit, though. Bullets move too fast."

The Psychic folded her arms over her chest and gave Tsukihime a look of mock indignation. "And what about that kiss, huh? I can't imagine your wife will be that happy with you about it."

"On the contrary, she'll be just fine. We have no problem inviting a third person once in a great while to share our bed." Tsukihime grinned slyly. "And a pretty, lithe, tough thing like you, Rave? Oh, the word _no_ isn't even an _option._"

Rave's cheeks burned bright red. "R-really?"

"Really really." The succubus leaned forwards purposefully, a coy smile on her lips. "I think you could keep up with us. You look like you even might enjoy getting your blood sucked a little..."

"I-I m-might..."

"Good." She licked her lips seductively. "Of course, I'd have to clean up the leftover bits of blood and maybe the rest of you..."

That did it. Rave spluttered incoherently for a second, then gave off a pleased groan and pitched backwards as an anime-style nosebleed erupted.

Gurren watched her crash to the ground. "Impressive."

"I'm a succubus. Comes with the territory. And it doesn't hurt I turned up the charm a little." Tsukhime nearly jumped out her skin as a form fell from the rafters above at her feet. "Tsubasa!?"

"Wanted drink of water last night...got lost...wound up in the rafters...fell asleep..." The other Shadowchaser was just as flushed and pleasantly dazed as Rave, even sporting a nosebleed. "You're good to wake up to..."

"So I've been told." Tsukihime smiled to herself as she watched her two fellows lay there. "Two at once. That's not a bad start to the day. Not sure how it's going to get better."

"TEAM! BREAKFAST!" Maria's magically amplified voice echoed through the house. "PANCAKES AND WAFFLES!"

"There we go!"

TTTTTTT

By the time a showered Rave and Tsubasa entered the dining room, breakfast was in full swing. Kenshin was practically inhaling a stack of pancakes dripping with butter and syrup. Rayearth was reading the morning paper while drinking a cup of coffee and smoking at the same time. Gurren was reading a book and Tsukihime was sprinkling some salt on her scrambled eggs and humming to herself.

"Over here, you two." Maria, dressed in a french maid's outfit, waved the pair over to the kitchen half of the room with her spatula. "What do you want, what flavor and how many?"

"Three blueberry pancakes, pretty lady." Tsubasa immediately moved towards the coffee pot. Grabbing a mug, he poured himself some before grabbing some sugar. But he had only poured a portion of the sugar in when he watched the liquid snap and hiss and then suck down the rest of the sugar off his suspended spoon. "Er, Rayearth...you made coffee using your Black Hole Blend last, right?"

"Yes." The Incantifer took a drink of her mug as she read, not noticing that _her_ coffee just sucked down her spoon. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." Dumping the coffee into the sink, Tsubasa opened the cupboard above and began rooting around for a less hungry blend.

"I'll take a couple of mixed-fruit waffles, Maria." Rave, her hair bounded up in several towels, popped open the fridge and started rummaging around.

"Okay, we've got strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries and some elvish roseberries. Any of that you don't want in there or can I just throw some of each in?" Maria twisted her head to ask her question and then scowled as Rave's head poked up above the fridge door. "Don't drink out of the orange juice carton!"

"What? It's nearly empty – I'm finishing it off!" Rave did so, using her sleeve to wipe the remains of the juice off her lips before throwing the carton in the trash. "And no roseberries, please. They're too sour."

Maria just scowled again and went back to pour batter back into her pan and into the wafflemaker. "Just be careful about the whipped cream. We've only got the one can left and-"

There was the sound of an aerosol can being used.

"Rave!"

"What? It was nearly empty – I'm finishing it off!"

"Into your mouth?"

"Couldn't find the syrup."

Maria growled. "Thankfully, that's on the table and we just so happen to have a full bottle and I am not going to the store to-"

An empty syrup bottle came sailing past her head and into the trash, followed shortly by Kenshin's voice. "Those were good pancakes, Maria! Thank you! But I kind of used up all the syrup...!"

"Don't worry about it, fox, tomorrow is shopping day. I'm sure we can survive without syrup until then." Tsubasa patted Maria on the shoulder as the kyubi hung her head in a defeated manner as he took his plate of pancakes from her. Then he froze, a slightly panicked expression on his face. "Wait...we still have butter, don't we?"

"Yes." Gurren informed him, turning a page on his book. His free hand was keeping Kenshin firmly squashed in her seat as she desperately tried to reach around him for the butter tub. "But I would hurry before our redheaded friend decides that butter is worth violating Rayearth's 'No superpowers at the table' rule."

"But it's butter! And I have more pancakes! And I think I want some toast! And maybe some on my cereal! And if you don't let me have some more, I'm going to-" Kenshin's half-angry rant froze in mid-word as she felt a chill run down her back. Carefully, she craned her head over shoulder.

"You're going to what, Kenshin?" Rayearth was peering at the spirit from behind the paper, a pleasant smile on her face. "Tell me, please. I want to know."

"I'mgonnasitdownandenjoytherestofmybreakfestthanky ou!" Kenshin squeaked out and immediately shoveled a piece of toast into her mouth almost fearfully.

Tsubasa plopped himself down next to Gurren, taking a big whiff of his pancakes and letting out a contended sigh. "Ahhh, the one thing I don't miss about being a bachelor is the breakfasts. Scrambled eggs can only be made interesting in so many ways."

He grinned when Tsukihime pushed a covered dish his way and he pulled off the lid to find it held bacon, sausage and ham on it. "And a man's gotta have his protein, too!"

"Eggs are actually a decent source of protein, Tsubasa." Gurren lifted his head from his book to regard the other man. "And didn't you live with your extended family before you moved in?"

"Not really. Aunt Giselda is a dark elf, so she and her kids stay out at the reservation. Didn't want everyone to try and backstab me. Aunt Ramolda is a half-siren, but she's always on a concert tour. And Uncle Chuckles is a carny clown. He's never figured out to remove that make-up he magicked onto himself." Tsubasa replied around a mouthful of food. "Dunno who dad is, so it was mostly me and Caroline."

"Ah, yes. Your half-sister. How is she doing these days?"

"Okay, I guess. We don't talk much." Tsubasa shuffled his food around with his fork a bit sadly. "Wish we did, to be honest, but she went off to the Midwest Duel Academy and doesn't come home very much."

He brightened as he took another bite. "But she does stay in touch every so often and our grandmother, Dame Juliana, lives out there along with Grandpa Whitehorse, so she's in good hands. 'Sides, living with you guys is always a blast."

"I suppose it is, but what happened to your own house?" Gurren inquired.

"The _Mach Wing III _exploded inside his garage and took the house with it." Rave said as she seated herself across from Tsubasa with a grin. "I don't know how, but your attempt to install a cup holder on it made it explode."

"I knew what I was doing." Tsubasa insisted, before taking a bite of bacon. He pointed at Rave's spot with the half-eaten strip. "Where's your food."

"Right here." Maria set a plateful of waffles down in front of the Psychic, the food almost looking like a kidnergarter's art project due to the heavy amount of fruit in it.

"Thank you." Rave reached for the butter and then frowned before she applied it. "What the-?"

She lifted her head to look at Maria, who had bustled off to refill Rayearth's and Tsukihime's coffees. "I thought I said I didn't want roseberries."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Maria tittered. "I seem to have come down with the same affliction that keeps you from hearing requests to not drink things from their containers. And I fear this affliction will plague me if you request more waffles."

"That's not fair!"

"Rave, eat your waffles." Rayearth said without looking up from her paper.

"Stupid, justified, deserved comeuppance..." Rave grumbled and took a bite from her food sulkily.

The counter phone rang and Tsukihime, who was closest, reached for it. "Our official line. Must be from the BPD." She plucked the phone of the cradle. "Hello, Backwater Shadowchasers."

The team continued with their breakfeast as she listened to the voice on the other end, occasionally responding with 'Yeah, uh-huh." And 'Sure, we can do that."

A few minute of this passed and she hung up the phone. "That was the Police Chief. Got a couple of problems this morning he wants us to deal with."

"And they are?" Rayearth took a drink of coffee, not noticing as the corner of her newspaper dipped into the liquid and was summarily ripped off and sucked down.

"First one is a problem down at the ophidia reservation. He got a call from their leader a little bit ago. He said something about a Shadowchaser hanging around down there and giving everyone a little more than a hard time. He's got a couple of officers down there, but whoever this Shadowchaser is, she knows her stuff. She hasn't broken any rules and they can't arrest him. Plus, she threatened to pull rank on them, as per the Backwater Charter."

"That would be Naricka, then. A Shadowchaser Jalal wants me to give some remedial education to." Rayearth waved with her coffee cup towards Gurren's direction. "Go and fetch the little nuisance for us, please. And don't be afraid to rough her up some. She's got an attitude problem."

"Very well." The golem tucked a bookmark into his book and snapped it shut as he stood. "It will be done."

"The other problem is down at the Junkyard. Threepiece is acting up again and a couple of officers on patrol reported. Said something about Threepiece being weird even for Threepiece." Tsukihime said as Gurren lumbered out the door. "Oh. And a junk golem going a bit haywire."

"Par for the course for the Junkyard, then." Rayearth flipped a page in her paper. "I'm going to need someone to go and-"

"ME!" Tsubasa and Kenshin shot to their feet, each waving their hand excitedly hand. "Dueling that guy is always a blast!

"It can't be you, Tsubasa. It's your turn to do the dishes." Maria told him as she sat down with her own plate of food.

"But-but..." Tsubasa glanced at already massive pile in the sink and wilted. "I can't duel dishes..."

"You'll live." Rayearth pointed with her mug at Kenshin. "And doesn't Jalal need you across an ocean to hack that Yliaster computer?"

"Oh...yeah..." Kenshin grumped and stomped towards the wall computer. "I'll be back before dinner." With a burst of rainbow light, she vanished into the Internet.

"I'll do it." Rave finished off the last of her waffles and got up from the table. "I was going to get some parts from the Junkyard later today, anyway. I'm short some for the new _Mach Wing._"

"You're building my D-Wheel out of junk?" Tsubasa protested.

"I'm building your D-Wheel because I'm nice and just not ordering a stock model for you."

"You're not _that _cheap."

"No, but I am petty." Rave smirked and casually licked some of the spare silverware and plates that had been set out for breakfest and piled them into the sink. "Especially to people who don't know the first thing about what they're complaining about."

Tsubasa groaned at the sight of the stack and Tsukihime grabbed her and Kenshin's dishes to add them to the pile. "Why don't you guys all eat less?"

"The Watchguard hasn't even woken up to eat yet." Tsukihime informed him, smiling at his deflating sigh. "And you just went through four plates of food yourself, Tsubasa."

He glanced down at the messy remains of his food. "Well, I never said I _should_ eat less. Just you guys. I'm growing man. You're an old demon and spirit and fox and stuff."

A black aura erupted around Tsukihime and she pulled a fresh plate out of the cupboard. "This old demoness is going to have seconds and thirds now. Of _everything._"

Tsubasa banged his head into the table. "Me and my big mouth..."

TTTTTTT

The Backwater Junkyard was on the city's outskirts, more than two acres' worth of discarded car and trucks, refrigerators, bedsprings and anything else that was metal and could not be disposed of safely. Magical items were to be dispelled before they were throw in there, but enough people had ignored that bit that there was almost an electric hum of magic in the heaps of junk.

The _Cyber Star_ slid to a smooth halt a few yards past the entrance and near the black-and-white patrol car also parked there. Rave frowned, noting that neither of the officers who should have been waiting for her were present.

Dismounting, she pulled off her helmet and set it on the seat, cupping a hand to her mouth. "Backwater Shadowchasers! Anyone home? It's Rave, Threepiece! We need to have a talk!"

Silence answered.

Another frown. "Officers! Check in! That's an order!"

This time, she got a response in the form of a whirring and clanking. Emerging from behind a mountain of junk was a wide-bodied figure. Bits of wire and odds and end stuck out of everywhere, the refrigerator that made up its torso looked like it was about to rust through any second and its limbs were ill-proportioned, leaving it with an unsteady gait.

But it was still functional and as it swiveled headlight eyes onto Rave, it raised its right arm, which had not a hand, but what looked like a barrel and some sort of chain feeder leading into the refrigerator's freezer compartment

Rave's instincts warned a moment before the golem opened fire, rolling to the side as washers fired at high-velocities and hissed through the air where she had been standing. Coming out of her roll in a dead sprint, she could hear the washers striking the ground and junk behind her, the steady throb of metal crumpling telling her that she really didn't want to get hit by one of them.

The golem followed her, somehow able to keep in range as she rounded a pile of junk and then skidded to a sliding halt. As the golem ceased fire to readjust its aim, she took off at an obscure angle. Junk slid and slipped under her feet as she dashed up the pile. Snaring a discarded hub cap, she whipped it at the golem like it was a frisbee.

It struck the gun arm hard and actually bent it, leaving it to fire uselessly into the dirt. The golem tried to bend it back into shape, but it was vain as it felt a shadow fall over it. It looked up just in time to see Rave's Twin Swords cut through its head like it was butter.

She had barely hit the ground when there was more whirring and then a 'ca-chunk!' noise before a spray of washers tore one of her weapons out her hands and forced her into another run. A quick glance over her shoulder showed more refrigerator golems behind. "Oh come on!"

Sharp metal chimes rang as she parried a few shots and swore as the blade snapped in half from a lucky stream. Ducking to avoid another stream, she plucked another card from her belt and her eyes glowed. A second later, a flash of light heralded the arrival of the Millennium Shield in her grasp.

It was nearly half of her height, but she held it easily in one hand as she ran. Shots banged and tinged off it, sharpening as the two golems began to concentrate their fire. The shield began to vibrate as it intensified.

Then it shattered as something slammed into it and hurled the Psychic off her feet. She didn't have time to groan in pain, as only years of honed reflexes saved her from another shot that embedded itself in the dirt. A short glance as she ducked revealed that a third golem, this one a quadruped pulling some kind of chariot, was firing hubcaps off a slingshot mounted on its back. "Seriously!?"

Catching sight of a large freezer standing out in the open, she flipped herself over a spray of shots and moved into a roll to somersault herself behind it.

"Glad you could make it to the party, Shadowchaser." The woman's voice was wry and as Rave un-tucked herself, she found that the woman was an elf and wearing a blue police uniform, her hat lopsided on her head and showing a couple of holes. "Like the reception?"

"Not one bit." Rave scooted herself further under the cover the freezer provided as a line of washers tore up the ground near her hand. "Is it just you on patrol here, Julia?

"You're forgetting about Brophy, here." Julia nodded to her other side and Rave peered around the woman to see a large brown wolf with a police cap perched jauntily on his head.

"Oh, hey, Brophy. How's that curse coming?"

The wolf barked at her in a manner that suggested it could only be sarcastic.

"Yeah, we're working on removing it." Rave ducked reflexively as a few shots pelted on their makeshift barricade, then apparently swept away to pelt some of the junk piles. "What the hell is with these things?"

"They started causing a ruckus this morning and got the jump on us when we pulled up. They don't seem to be targeting us specifically if they can't see us, but know where we are vaguely." Julia took off her hat and held it up. There was a sound of firing and she pulled it back down, revealing a fresh hole in it. "So that's why they're not wrecking our barrier, but we can't leave."

Rave groaned slightly. "Wonderful. What the hell was Threepiece thinking when he made these things?"

"They worked fine this mornin'!" A voice that sounded suspiciously like Elvis protested and a thin, lanky metal hand waved from around Julia and Brophy. "So don't go thinking it's my workmanship causin' the problems, ah-huh-huh!"

"Threepiece!?" Rave leaned over around Julia to get a better view of him. The junk golem was a piecemeal build, lanky and slender. Dressed in a tattered bomber's flight jacket, a pair of white, worn bell-bottom pants and an aviator's helmet complete with flight goggles, it was easy to see where he got his name from. "What happened!?"

Threepiece's mouth, which was actually an old model iPhone fitted into his head casing, displayed a frown as his voice came from somewhere else. "They were working fine this morning and suddenly they're all off targeting anything that moves after a duel I had! Me, the clockwork critters and even the police!"

"Duel you had?" Rave's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did you use anything new in that duel?"

"Naw, just a few tweaks to my deck and an old card I had gotten as a gift, but didn't have the stuff for until now." Threepiece's mouth became a smiley face. "Went down to the _Deck Box_ for some tradin' and had a grand old time. Why-"

"Story later." Rave cut him and glanced at the two officers, all of them wincing as another round of shots hammered the freezer. "Ideas?"

"Well, according to the junk heap here-" Julia jerked a thumb at Threepiece. "-those things don't have any real weaknesses and he loaded up those fridges with a lot of their ammo. My sidearm isn't going to do squat against them and Bropher and I can't get close enough to physically take them down."

"I destroyed one, but you're right about the getting close part...I..." Rave trailed off as she noticed something and then grinned. "This freezer has wheels."

"What does that – Oh." Comprehension dawned on Julia's face as she figured out Rave's intention. "But can we take out the golems fast enough? I think the three over there have been joined by two more and that's a lot of firepower."

"We'll get it." Rave glanced towards Threepiece. "Hey. Your clockworks. Where they all at?"

"At my workin' bench, cowering under it like peas in a pod." Threepiece pointed in a vague direction through a pile of junk.

"Okay. We can work with that. Julia, there's a path off towards the workbench halfway between us and the golems. Once we get that far, you and Brophy run off and go get them."

"What about you and Threepiece?"

"We'll be busy, so try and hurry." Rave stood up carefully, making sure that she wasn't poking anything around the edges of the freezer. "On three...push. But carefully. We don' want to tip it over. One..."

The others all stood up and braced themselves against the freezer.

"Two..."

The shots intensified against the freezer, making the empty structure rattle slightly.

"THREE!"

With a mighty heave and a groan of protest from the wheels, the freezer began to roll. Slowly at first, then picking up speed as all four of them put their backs into it. Soon they had a running clip going and only the rapid pelting of washers and bolts against the back was louder than the freezer's rattling.

Rave saw a flash of dirt break up the piles of junk. "Julia! GO!"

The elf and wolf dove for the alley, but Rave had no time to spare for their fate, as the fire on their barricade intensified. A second later, a hubcap tore right through it and sliced a few of her hairs off.

With a terrible grinding crash, the freezer smashed into the two front golems. It bent and warped as the two constructs braced themselves against its momentum. Without skipping a beat, Rave tore open the door and manifested the Twin Swords. She drove them through the freezer, grunting as they pierced the back wall and strained against tougher metal of the golem behind. Straining, she scissored the blades together and heard the satisfying sound of something being cut in two.

A hubcap exploded through the freezer, sheering it half. Rave grabbed the lip of the top, swinging herself up onto it as it began to sway and look a single leap forwards.

The quadruped golem tried to follow her flight, but the sling-shot couldn't elevate fast enough. She came before it had even made it in line with her arc, smashing Gravity Axe-Grarl into the thing's body with all the force she could muster.

The axe lived up its name, the metal around the impact point warping and crumpling towards the weapon as excess gravity was exerted upon on it. Several more rapid blows produced similar results and finally, with one sharp swing into its exposed guts, the quadruped slumped over in defeat.

Rave banished the Gravity Axe as she hopped down and took in the situation. Threepiece, displaying far more strength than his rickety-frame would suggest, had simply tore the weapon arm off of his target, followed by the head. And the other two golems had been simply reduced to bits and pieces by the horde of clockwork animals that Julia and Brophy had lead up behind them.

Julia stabbed her standard-issue sword into one of the golem's heads as a group of oversized clockwork rodents scurried back into hiding under one of the massive junk piles. "So now what?"

Rave put her hands on her hips and regarded the mess before pursing her lips and letting out a long sigh. "We don't know why these things went haywire...and that means we have to dismantle the clockworks, too..."

"What, ah-huh-huh?" Threepiece's expression changed to a '!' and his eyes flashed in surprise. "You can't do that!"

"I don't want to, Threepiece, but your golems went nuts and there's no telling if whatever it caused all this will spread to the clockworks." Rave watched as Threepiece's expression changed into an angry squiggle and his eyes 'narrowed'. "We've got reports of dark cards floating around. If you got one by mischance and find it, we don't know what effects it had."

"No way, lady! I'm not turnin' anythin' of mine in and you aren't dismantling my little buddies." Threepiece pointed a finger at her. "You can't prove that they're gonna go bad!"

"I can't." Rave admitted. "And I'd rather not, but you golems very nearly killed us just now. That 'us' includes you, too!"

Threepiece's expression settled into a scowl as he thought for a moment. "I admit the big ones probably need to be remodeled, but that doesn't mean you gotta take them all apart! And no one's reported any of them doing anything wrong at all, right? We can just pen them up here until your check is done!"

"They could get free-" Rave started and blinked as Threepiece thrust a finger at her again. "What?"

"I'm invokin' the Fair Fight Clause!" The junk golem announced triumphantly, his expression becoming gleeful. "You don't have no real legal authority over me, on account the Junkyard is on reservation land. So if you want to do anything to my stuff, you gotta go through me first."

"Alright then. I'll take your challenge!" Rave held up her wrist and tapped a button on her watch. Immediately, her bike activated and a slot opened up on it. With a 'whump!' sound, it fired the latest model of Duel Disk into the air. "You put your pride in your creations and I will honor that by matching it with my own!"

Julia watched as Rave expertly caught the Disk and slid it onto her wrist. "I don't suppose the fact that he's _right _thanks to the city limits shifting awkwardly over the last ten years means anything?"

"He threw the gauntlet as a duelist and as a fellow duelist, I can't hesitate to pick it up!" Rave popped her deck from the holster on her hips and slid it home, the action switching her Duel Disk to active mode.

"So basically you take any excuse to duel..." The police officer chuckled and readjust her hat. "We'll file our reports now, I suppose...and make sure these things are down for the count."

She and Brophy disappeared around a pile of junk as Threepiece pulled a homemade guitar off his back. "Let's get this duel started, ah-huh-huh!"

He fiddled with something on it and Rave stared in surprise as the guitar began shift and change shape, some pieces folding in on themselves and others unfolding as they all shuffled and snapped together. When it was done, the junk golem had a serviceable, if odd-looking, Duel Disk that he mounted onto his arm. "You ready to rock'n'roll?" (TLP: 8000)

"I'll beat you so bad, Threepiece, you'll be singing the blues." Rave promised and held up her arm as she drew her starting cards. "Now we've got the obligatory related jokes out of the way, I assume you want the first turn?" (RLP: 8000)

"Sure as shootin', little lady!" Threepiece drew for his turn. "I'll begin setting a monster in defense mode and a card face-down, just to keep start this duel's rhythm slow."

He watched as the brown-backed cards appeared in front of him swiftly. "That'll end my turn."

"Please tell me you're not going to make music related puns the entire duel. We haven't even heard you play yet this chapter." Rave snapped up a card and then promptly discarded it. "I can send Starsteel Prototype from my hand to my graveyard to move another Starsteel to my hand from the deck. I choose Starsteel Alnair."

Adding the named card to her hand, she plugged a spell card into her disk. "Constellation Engine-Leo lets me add another Engine from my Deck to my hand and I think I want Tauros."

Another card was added to her hand and then she slapped down a monster. "Let's make use of my new cards, so here's Starsteel Alnair in attack mode!" (1400/1200)

The blue-armored android was lean of build and its face expressionless, but its golden eyes lit up and it took a boxing pose."And when he's summoned, I can send another Starsteel from the deck to the graveyard. Like Starsteel Struve."

Sliding the named monster into the grave, she pointed across the field. "Alnair! Attack that set monster!"

The machine darted forwards, smashing a fist on the set card so hard it blew apart into pixels. Threepiece, meanwhile, reached for his deck. "You flipped up Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu with that attack and that lets me move an equip spell card to my hand. Like my Fusion Weapon."

"I guess that gives me a clue as to what's coming next." Rave commented with a half smile and slid a pair of cards into her disk. "I'll set these face-down. Show me what nifty fusion you've coming."

"You got it and you're gonna get it the hard way, too." Threepiece drew and tossed down a monster card."I summon Agent of Creation-Venus in attack mode!" (1600/0)

As the beautiful woman in a flowing green and golden dress appeared, she was already spreading her wings and opening her mouth to sing. "And thanks to her effect, I can give up life points to bring Mystical Shine Balls out. So why don't I go whole hog and bring out all three? (TLP: 6500)

Rave watched curiously as in rapid flashes of light, three little glowing spheres of light appeared alongside Venus. (500/500x3)

"I know what you're thinkin', that there isn't no fusion with these guys, but that's where your wrong. I activate Polymerization!" The three little spheres were pulled together and in flash, revealed themselves to...be a much larger glowing sphere of light. "Divine Radiant Sphere isn't much, but he's gonna come in handy!" (1500/1500)

"Because his level is six and so that means he's a target for Fusion Weapon." Rave grimaced as Threepiece played the card and the fusion's aura began to glow fiercely. (1500-3000)

"Venus attacks your Alnair with Song of Creation!" Venus' singing intensified and Alnair exploded, pelting Rave with pieces. "And then my Divine Radiant Sphere will wallop you with a direct attack!"

Rave thrust out her hand and one of her set cards flipped up, the card absorbing the searing ray of light that the fusion fired at her. "Defense Draw says otherwise. So no damage and I get a draw."

Threepiece didn't look all that upset that his attack had failed. "Alright then, I'm endin' my turn."

"Draw!" Rave did so and slid a card into her disk. "First up, I'm using the effect of my Constellation Engine-Tauros to move Scorpio from my deck to my hand!"

Doing so, she grinned as her graveyard spat out a series of cards. "And if you want fusion, Threepiece, lemme show you now it's really done! I banish Alnair, Prototype, Struve and Constellation Engine-Leo to bring out Starsteel Eraphus!" (3000/2000)

With a low rumble, a giant tortoise-like tank rolled out onto the field. Two panels on the back of its shell opened, revealing that they were missile launchers. It let out a low roar as the blank space above its head was suddenly filled with the Leo the Lion constellation. "And since I used my Constellation Engine-Leo to summon him, he gets an extra thousand points!" (3000-4000)

A new robot appeared on her field, shaped more like a bulky brawler than a lean boxer. "And with Starsteel Alfasi adding to my attack force, I'm going to put them to use!" (1900/1200)

Nearly a dozen rockets leapt free from Erpahus and sailed towards the giant ball across the field, crashing into the fusion and exploding violently. Threepiece held out his hand, unbothered by the smoke and three flashes of light shone briefly in the cloud. "Since you sent my Radiant Sphere back to the great beyond, the three pieces that it had come back." (TLP: 5500)

Rave made a 'tch' noise as the three Mystical Shine Balls revealed themselves. Then Alfasi stormed forwards, the Psychic pulling the top card of her deck free. "Since I'm attacking with Alfasi, I can reveal the top card of my deck. If it's a Starsteel, it goes to the grave and he gets more attack points. Which it is!"

Alfasi glowed with blue energy and slugged Venus, the angel shattering apart as Rave dropped the card into her graveyard. "That's enough damage for now, so I end my turn." (TLP: 4700)

Threepiece drew and slid a spell card into his disk. "White Elephant's Gift lets me send a non-Effect Monster to my grave to draw two cards." One of the spheres faded away and he drew two more cards.

Then the other two faded away, replaced by a machine that dwarfed even Eraphus. It had eight green legs, a red head with a visor for eyes and two huge rocket launchers on the back. (2200/2500)

"Launcher Spider!?" Rave felt her jaw drop slightly at the appearance of the monster and then it snapped shut as the monster suddenly gained a silvery, metallic sheen to it. "And Metalmorph!?" (2200-2500)

"Yep and that three hundred bonus isn't the good stuff – that's the fact that when it attacks your Erphaus, it gains half of his attack points! _Shock Rockets!_" The doors on the launchers flew up, unleashing a barrage of missiles not unlike the ones Eraphus used moments ago. (2500-4500)

Erphaus had not time to appreciate the irony as the missiles pulverized it to digital dust and Rave had to brace herself against the explosion's force. (RLP: 7300)

"And to round off that move, I'll be settin' this face-down." Threepiece watched as the card materialized behind the bulk of his spider. "You're up."

"And you're going down! Let's see if you can take down another one of my fusions so easily!" Rave snapped up her card and held up a spell card. "I'm sure you know what I'm going to do with a Constellation Engine by now, so I'll use Scorpio to nab Pisces!"

Swiftly doing so, she held up another card. "Card Destruction! So drop'em and draw'em!"

Both duelists discarded their hands and drew fresh ones, while Rave's graveyard churned and spat out a series of cards. "Thuban, Eraphus, Struve are banished to form a new monster and that monster will be powered by Constellation Engine-Libra!"

The blue-armored monsters flew together in a flash of light, resolving into a much taller humanoid machine with a billowing cape. The cavity on the center of his chest flared as it light up with the Libra constellation. "Not only does Orion look like a freaking badass, but Libra's power forces all of your monsters to return their original scores!" (2400/2000)

"Aw, nuts." Threepiece's expression became a ':(' as his Spider's power bonus vanished. (2500-2200)

"But my monsters can rack up their power all that they want, just like equipping Zodiac Power Array to Orion will do!" The fusion monster glowed with a powerful blue and gold light. "He gains five hundred points for each Constellation Engine I've got in the graveyard and banished pile!" (2400-4400/2000-4000)

Rave slid a card into her disk. "Then I'll activate Past Light, Future Sight and then Orion will wreck your machine! _Bow of the Hunter!"_

A segment of Orion's arm unfolded into a bow and he drew back an arrow of crackling blue energy in it. Then he let fly and the Launcher Spider had time to have a neat hole drilled through its body before it exploded violently. (TLP: 2500)

"I'll activate Loaner Delivery! This trap activates when you wreck a machine! I get one that's level four or lower out of my deck! Like Robolady!" The trap spat out a pink-armored woman who quickly knelt in defense mode. (450/900)

"That's a really old school machine..." The Shadowchaser pulled a card out of her banished slot. "And since Orion did his job, I can shuffle a Starsteel back into my deck and deal you damage equal to its level times two hundred! Plus, Past Light, Future Sight lets me draw one card!"

Threepiece was unbothered as a blue glow surrounded and Rave drew. "You can't hurt me. I'mma machine and we don't feel pain." (TLP: 1700)

"That hasn't stopped me from putting the hurt on you in this duel, Threepiece!" Rave smiled and shuffled her hand around a little. "I'll end my turn and let you lick your wounds."

"I think I'd rather take another shot you, Rave." Threepiece's mouth was a ':)' as he snapped his draw. "I activate the continuous spell card Dark Factory Mass Production Line!" The card shimmered into existence in front of him, its picture showing a group of Mokey-Mokey being pulled off of an assembly line and stacked neatly in boxes. "Now I can banish a level two or lower Normal Monster from my graveyard and fetch one of the same kind from my deck."

A card slid out of his graveyard and he moved it to the appropriate slot and then slapped down the one from his deck. "So the Cyber Commander goes to the banished pile and out comes Roboyaru!" (900/450)

A blue-armored man, quite similar to Robolady, appeared on front of him and was followed by a spell card. "And Faustian Bargain lets me send one of your Special Summoned monsters to the grave to bring out a Normal one, so Orion goes by while Kagemusha of the Blue Flame says hi!" (800/800)

Rave grimaced as her fusion faded away and a lean warrior wielding a staff and dressed in green pants appeared alongside the two machines. "But you sent my Zodiac Power Array to the graveyard and that means I can move all of my Constellation Engines to there, too!"

"Let's see it save you from this." Threepiece said as she did so and his Robolady stood up. "Alright you three! Triple direct attack!"

Rave yelped as the three monsters all charged and whaled on her for a few moments. Then they all broke away, leaving her looking a little ruffled up. And then her eyes widened at the card she saw was now face-up across the field. "Ohhhhhh...boooooyyyy..." (RLP: 5150)

"That's right – Another Fusion is a trap that fuses my Roboyaru and Robolady into Super Robolady!" The two monsters merged in a flash of light, now a woman wearing more advanced armor and wielding a double-sided lance. "And when she attacks you directly like she's gonna do, her score goes up by one thousand!" (1200/1000-2200)

The fusion sprinted forwards, landing two quick slashes with her weapon before Rave could react. The Psychic groaned slightly and rubbed her stomach. "Good shot, Threepiece." (RLP: 2950)

"And I thank you kindly." Threepiece slid his last two cards into his disk. "I'll place these face-down and keep you guessing. So now it's your turn to lick your wounds, eh?"

"Not yet – you'll have to hit me a lot harder than to hurt me!" Rave dusted herself off and drew for her turn with a smile. "I'm one tough duelist and I give as good as I get! So let's start off with Dark World Dealings! Now we each draw one and discard one!"

Both of them did so and once more, her graveyard began to file out cards. "This time, let's see what two Alnair, Orion and Constellation Engine- Gemini net me!"

With a blue flash of light, her new monster was a giant blue-armored centaur. It was armed with two powerful-looking swords instead of a bow and as he clashed them together, his chest cavity lit up with the Gemini Constellation. "Starsteel Crucius is here and thanks to his engine, he can hit you twice when he attacks! _Charging Star Blades!" _(2500/2500)

Threepiece had to duck as the centaur lopped off his Super Robolady's head, but still managed to press a button on his disk all the same. "Another Loaner Delivery will summon my Kinetic Soldier from the deck!" (TLP: 1000)

Rave frowned as a blue-and-gold machine appeared in front of him, with two missile packs on his shoulders and kneeling on an image of his card. "That's an odd monster to have in your kind of Normal Monster deck, but that's fine because Crucius' second attack is going to wipe out your life points!"

"Not quite! I still got this other trap card!" Metal rang as suddenly an ugly metal scarecrow was there to intercept the blade's path towards Kagemusha. "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow negates your attack and then sets itself face-down!"

"Good dodge..." Rave commented idly and focused her attention on the Kinetic Soldier. (_His deck really doesn't have a use for that monster, even if it is a machine...but I seem to remember there's something else you can do with it...)_ "End of turn."

"My draw!" Threepiece immediately slid the card into his disk. "And I get some luck with another White Elephant's Gift, so Kagemusha, your performance is over!" The warrior vanished and he drew two more cards.

Then his Scrap-Iron Scarecrow exploded. "And Blasting Vein destroys a set card I have to get me two more cards!" Drawing, his expression became ':)!'

"This is gonna be a blast to pull off!" He slid a spell card into his disk. "Junk Dealer revives two of my Machines or Warriors at half stats in attack mode!"

Rave blinked as a man in high-tech armor appeared alongside a hulking blue robot that looked like it was meant to squash someone flat. "Science Soldier...and Cyber Soldier of Dark World?" (800/800-400/400) (1400/1200-700/600)

"Yeah, ah-huh-huh! And someone else wants an encore, so I'll banish Roboyaru with my continuous spell car and get a second one!" In a flash of light, the blue-armored man appeared. "And two cards will call it a turn!"

Rave watched the cards appear and felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up. "You've got something big planned."

"I told ya I got somethin' I've had for a long time I couldn't test out, but you just may be unlucky enough to be the one I can use it on for the first time!" Threepiece's mouth was a ':D!'. "These soldier machines are so charged up, they're gonna revolutionize this duel for me!"

"Right..." Rave reached for her deck and drew. But she didn't even look at the card as it hit her. "Revolutionize...those three Soldiers! That's-"

"The combination I need to use the crazy awesome trap Soldier Revolt!" Threepiece's emoticon was laughing as the trap flipped up. And all three soldiers began to glow with energy. "Your hand and field are now sent to eternal rest!"

Rave's field exploded into fire, destroying all of her remaining cards. But a gust of wind erupted as well and pounded the Dark Factory Mass Production Line to digital dust. "My Mystical Space Typhoon can still be played."

"But it was a desperate move." Threepiece watched as she folded her hand together and slid the stack into the graveyard.

"For you, not for me!" Rave held up her disk and gestured to her graveyard. "In case you hadn't noticed, my machines work great when they're in the junk pile!"

"Not anymore, they're not! 'Cause I activate my last set card! Tyrant's Throes!" The continuous trap card flipped up and Cyber Soldier of Dark World and Science Soldier both vanished into blue light. "By offering two of my Normal monsters, I can make this duel a private one! And any effect monsters we got can't afford the admission price!"

Rave stared at the trap and her hands fell slightly before one clenched into a frustrated fist. "...I end my turn."

Threepiece drew and held up the card. "Dark Factory of Mass Production fetches two of my Normals from the graveyard." Plucking the two cards he wanted out of the slot, he pulled the Kinetic Soldier and Roboyaru cards from his disk. "And here comes an old model special! Launcher Spider!"

The titanic spider reappeared and didn't waste any time unleashing a fresh barrage of rockets that hammered Rave's field and left it covered in a cloud of smoke. "So whaddya say to them apples, Rave!?" (RLP: 750)

"I think...I've found the problem card..." The smoke cleared to reveal Rave standing inside a glowing prismatic barrier, the missiles having failed to touch her. "Because if I hadn't used my powers and my Electromagnetic Shield card, those things would have hurt me!"

"What? You sayin' my Launcher Spider's bad news! Well I'm not buyin' it!" Threepiece protested and his mouth flashed red a few times. "I'll mess you up but for good!"

"Crap, I was hoping the dark card wasn't going to affect you...fine, I still was planning on winning this duel for one reason or another!" Rave drew for her turn.

"How you gonna win!?" Threepiece pointed at her. "Your entire deck is Effect Monsters!"

"Not exactly – I have one that's not! And he's going to stomp all over your Launcher Spider!" Rave's graveyard spilled out some cards. "Fusion!"

"But I just said-they're all Effect Monsters! You can't summon one!"

"Then what's this?" With a ground-shaking thud, a massive humanoid Starsteel landed in front of her. The fact that he was metal did nothing to lessen the fact his muscular physique was very imposing. Blue energy formed a ragged version of a cape and vest while Leo The Lion appeared in his chest cavity. "Oh right, it's Starsteel Hercules!" (3000/1000-4000)

Threepiece's expression flashed '!' several times. "But...he's a Fusion..."

"Yep. But the only text he has on him is his necessary components. Meaning no effect, meaning he's a Non-Effect monster!" Rave snapped out a hand. "This duel is over! Junk that Launcher Spider!"

Hercules roared and leapt up into the air, Threepiece flinching as the Starsteel smashed the smaller machine flat with a two-fisted blow. The spider's legs twitched feeble and then its remaining weapon's stockpile detonated all at once, leaving the entire playing field filled with heavy smoke. (TLP: 0)

Threepiece emerged first, one hand holding his head as he staggered around a bit. "Oh, my achey-breaky motherboard..." He fished around in his duel disk and pulled out the Soldier Revolt card. "But at least I got a chance to use you, ya little gem. I-"

"I hope you enjoyed it because that was the only time!" Rave's voice heralded a flash of steel and Threepiece was left gawking as the Butterfly Dagger-Elma pinned the trap card onto a piece of junk.

"Now what in the hells gives!?" Threepiece rounded on the Shadowchaser as she emerged from the holographic smoke. "That's my card!"

"That's the _dark_ card, Threepiece!" Rave told him firmly. "You said you just got the cards you needed for it today, didn't you? I don't know how long you had that thing, but getting those cards and putting them all in the same deck must have activated it! _That's_ why your golems went haywire! They were revolting!"

"But that's just-" Threepiece was silenced as Rave slapped his headcasing.

"And that's for forgetting the fact that Soldier Revolt is on the Ban List, bolts-for-brains!"

"But you forgot it was until right this second, too!"

"That's besides the point! I'm human, I only got so much memory!" She pointed at him. "You're a machine, you should have known that instantly!"

Threepiece's mouth flashed '?' as he cocked his head in thought. "...you're right...I did know that. I think I said as much to the fella who gave me the card, but then I grabbed it and everything went all kind of fuzzish about it...I didn't think it could have done much harm..."

Rave, her temper spent, patted him on the shoulder. "It's fine. Honestly, I'm not mad at you, Threepiece. Just worried. The magic those dark cards have can mess with you. And your card turned your robots into Terminator-wannabes. We're lucky that it didn't do that to you."

"Yeah, well I'm made of sterner stuff than my builds. And I want to you take that card and do whatever you have to it. I never want to see that thing again." Threepiece paused and glanced down at her, looking at her expectantly. "You upset about all this trouble causing me to make you duel?"

She stared back for a moment and then grinned, holding out a fist. His face flashed ':D' and they fist-pumped. "Aww, hell no! I can never saw that about any duel! That was a blast!"

Then something nearby exploded and she jumped a foot in the air. "I didn't mean that literally!"

"Gangway!" Julia had hollered the warning, but Brophy beat her to skidding around the corner by a few feet. The two officers scrambled to their feet and dashed over to the pair. "What the hell where you building in the big shed, Threepiece!?"

"Wha-? That old thing?" The golem shrugged. "Was gonna be a dragon, but I could never get it to do stuff."

"Well, it's doing stuff now and it's not friendly stuff, either!" Julia pointed over the pile of junk and they all watched the half-built dragon hauled itself over, losing its footing and tumbling end over end to crash to the ground in a heap of broken pieces.

"Why's that so threatening-" Rave cut herself short as the dragon's pieces glowed and it rapidly reassembled itself. "...oh..."

"It did the same thing twice when Brophy ripped it to pieces and I cut it up." Julia held up her sword, revealing that it was bent and notched. "It didn't take."

"Yeah, I can see that." Rave stepped forwards, eyes flashing as the Twin Swords appeared in her hands. "Sit this one out."

The two officers dashed for their car as the dragon let out a roar and the pinned Soldier Revolt card began to glow. Dislodging the dagger pinning it in place, the card floated over to and sank into the machine. As it did, junk began to fly from all over and pile onto it. In mere seconds it had gone from the size of a person to that of a semi-truck and was a complete dragon.

Rave was already sprinting forwards, jumping over a claw swipe and twisting around a fang-filled snap of the head. A growl of frustration escaped as her blades mere scrapped harmlessly over the creature's neck before it knocked her away.

The blades shattered its claws tore through while she ducked another strike. Dropping the useless handles, Gravity Axe-Grarl flashed to life in her hands as she rolled underneath the dragon's stomach.

This time, her blows met with more success as the axe bite into its side and its gravity-warping wrecked about a square foot of its body. A second blow produced ever better results, but a third had to be cut short as the dragon hopped itself around to attack her.

The fangs missed her by inches as she skidded backwards and the tail pierced her weapon, ripping it out of her hands and hurling it away. Swearing, Rave grabbed a Blast With Chain card out of her pouch as she slid out other of another claw strike. A single leap put her atop a fridge as the head got only a mouthful of dirt from where she had been standing. Twirling her new weapon, she snapped it out just as the head began to retract.

Her weapon lodged sharply in its neck and she barely managed to release the chain before it drug her along. A second later, the dynamite attached to the sickle exploded and the dragon bellowed as chunks of metal flew everywhere and its head dangled dangerously loose.

But Rave's victory was short-lived, giving off a startled yelp as the tail swept her perch out from under her and sent her rolling to the ground. Hands and eyes glowed for new weapons, but failed as as a tire-sized claw smashed into her gut.

"Dammit..." The Psychic strained, but the weight as too much and she could not even move her hands to try for a weapon. Worse, the dragon's head was being yanked back into position by unseen cords and cables in its neck while metal flew from the piles to repair the wound.

Gritting her teeth, she managed to squirm her hand into her belt and find one card that separate from the rest. Squeezing it between her fingertips, she concentrated. White flooded her eyes instead of the usual rainbow prism.

The dragon's breath smelled of oil and grease as its head swung over to eye her hungrily. Antifreeze dripped from metal fangs as it reared its head back...just in time for it to get a giant hole punched through it by a gleaming white blur that shot down from the sky.

Rave sucked in a breath as the dragon staggered off of her and rolled away, scrambling to her feet. A few yars away, she could see the form of the Celestial Sword- Eatos she had manifested buried in the ground. But the blade was already dissolving away into ether and she swore again realized that yet again, a true manifestation of the weapon failed.

The dragon's roar snapped her mind back to the present and she whirled to face it, the Twin Swords flashing into her grasp. Then she blinked as Threepiece suddenly stepped in front of her. His duel disk had reverted back into a guitar and he held the instrument in front himself confidently. "What are you doing!?"

"This thing kinda my fault. Not to mention wrecking my home and trying to kill us." He tweaked a few of the strings and settled himself more comfortably. "I'm gonna do something about it."

And he began to play. A powerful rock tune and not more than a dozen notes into it, he began to sing.

"_It's going to be a mechanized melee, a bit of a big robot brawl. When we get through, they're gonna know its true, the more metallic you are the harder you fall!_" Threepiece and Rave both leapt away as the dragon unleashed a wave of flaming oil and grease from its mouth, the junk golem still playing. "_And don't mess with me 'cause I'm a whole lotta trouble with my back against the wall!_"

The dragon swung towards the golem, lumbering after him and letting out a frustrated noise as if it were annoyed by the music pouring forth. _"We're gonna kick some robot chassis, so you better tell your robot nation to have a robot prayer 'cause you better prepare for an automaton conflagration!" _

Rave stared at Threepiece's actions and then gripped her weapons. She had taken three steps towards the monstrosity's rear when it suddenly roared and rose up on its hind legs, flailing madly. At first, she couldn't see what was causing the problem, but then she felt something scurry past her leg. A glance down gave her the answer.

Threepice's clockwork animals were pouring from all corners of the junkyard and swarming up the dragon's body. Bigger animals chewed and claws holes in the scrap scales and smaller ones squirmed their ways inside to claw and tear and rip out cables, nuts, bolts and whatever else made up the dragon's guts. _"You think you're gonna take us down. Well, mechanical man just you try it! You're gonna ride that rail out of town!" _

Something crashed behind her and Rave jumped out of the way as a pair of clockwork bears bigger than she was surged forwards. They smashed into dragon's rear legs, buckling them and the entire thing pitched forwards as it writhed and lashed about, trying desperately to dislodge the small army that was literally tearing it to pieces.

"_This is a robot riot, I think you know what I mean! This is a robot riot! I'm gonna break down and sell you for scrap metal, but I'll keep enough to build myself a trampoline!_ Threepiece's music was stronger now, much more than his single guitar could do but there was no other instruments or speakers in sight.

The music continued even as the dragon finally sagged forwards with a crash and the golem flipped his grip on the guitar so he was gripping its neck. The dragon strained to move parts that were no longer connected to one another and it made an attempt that missed by a mile to snare Threepiece's legs. The golem ignored it and with a deadly 'shing!' wicked looking axe blades sprang free of his guitar's body.

"_This is a robot riot!"_

He swung the weapon down and both music and dragon's roars came to an abrupt halt as he severed head from neck in one blow.

Rave approached him as the clockwork animals all scurried away and out of the dragon's body and as the last one fled, it tore a seemingly random bolt from a seemingly random piece of metal. With a thunderous groan, the dragon's body collapsed into scrap metal once more. "Wow..."

"Never underestimate the power of music and a little mechanical know-how." Threepiece flashed her a '^^' and as his guitar folded up its blades, stowed the instrument around his back once more.

"That guitar's a working duel disk, a literal axe and a musical instrument." Rave folded her arms. "How did you do that?"

"Ahh, that's a trade sceret, ah-huh-huh." Threepiece chuckled good-naturedly and then stepped forwards, rummaging around in the pile of metal that had been alive a few moments before. After a few seconds, he straightened and held up the Soldier Revolt card. "So how are you going get rid of this-"

There was a blur of metal in front of him and then Rave dispelled her blades. Smirking, she snapped her fingers and the card exploded into scraps that swiftly burst into darkness.

Threepiece staredd, his hand still frozen in position of holding the card. "...that'll work."

"Good." Rave glanced around at the mess and ran a hand through her pink-and-gold hair. "Okay, I need to get some parts. You go tell Julia and Brophy its safe. And don't go accepting cards from anyone you don't know! _EVER!"_

"Hey, hey, hey, I won't let no one else write my sheet music. From now one, this rocker rocks out to the beat of his own drum." Threepiece promised, holding his right hand out in the Boy Scout's Salute. "Scout's honor."

Rave lifted an eyebrow. "...you were in Boy Scouts..."

"Sure, back when I was just nothing than a single nut and bolt! Earned my washers the hard way!" He flashed her a ':P'.

The Shadowchaser buried her hand in her face with a bemused sigh, then shook her head. "Threepiece, you're alright..."

Dusting herself off, she stared for the junkyard's entrance. "C'mon, let's get the police report sorted out so I can actually do some work..."

TTTTTTT

From behind another pile of junk, Trueman watched the pair walk away with a satisfied smile on his face. "That was more entertaining than expected...and fruitful."

"The Psychic Shadowchaser is formidable." Another Trueman came up behind the first.

"Indeed." The first one agreed and turned to face his brother. "But she has limits. For now, however, what have we learned about this Skeleton Knight?"

"Not enough, beyond he worships gods from the dark places of this Earth." The second one said. "We could capture one of his Crusaders to get more information..."

"No." The first one cut him off. "We are not capable of fighting such a foe _and_ the Shadowchasers together."

"But he must be removed-he is an unwelcome variable to our equation."

"He will be removed..." The first Trueman smiled and then the second one followed suit as the same idea occurred them. "We must draw him out into open conflict with the Shadowchasers. He desires power and his Crusaders are Rare Hunters, aren't they?"

"They are." The second continued. "So we will give them what they want. Bait them with an obvious poisoned prize and spring the real trap when they think they have outsmarted us."

"We have several prizes that they may want-being in more than once place at once is most marvelous for collecting things." The first finished. "We will give them to our ally and they will bait out there Crusaders."

"Yes, but time..."

"We have nothing but. The equation will solve itself as we confront them, we merely need to ensure that we are the _only_ ones the Shadowchasers confront. And once we have we learned the Truth..."

They both smiled darkly as they fell apart into blank-faced cards and swirled away into the darkness.

"We will have Everything."

TTTTTTT

A/N: _The song 'Robot Riot' is from Phineas and Ferb and I highly recommend checking the cartoon out, even if only for the great stuff they just do with music. _

_Both Skeleton Knight and Trueman are seemingly able to exercise far more patience than one would think of such villains. But that doesn't mean the Shadowchasers can rest easy, there's always trouble abound in Backwater. And sometimes, it carries the law on its side._

_There are many reasons this fic is rated M and one of those will show itself next chapter. You have been warned._

_Chapter 4: Best Served Cold; Justice On The Rocks is coming soon!_

Secret Life Of Characters #9: _Rave_

"_My sensei taught me something very important: A duelist's deck is their heart and soul. If you think you can call this just a 'game' and stomp on their pride, I will never forgive you!" _

_History:_ Rave joined the Shadowchasers after the events of the Arcadia Tournament. With no family, no home, Awareness and Psychic abilities, there was little else for her to really do and she jumped at the chance to do something good with her powers and talents.

Her past is a mystery to even her teammates in Backwater. She says she manifested her Psychic abilities from a young age, has no family and was found and taken in by her _sensei_. Who this sensei is, she has never revealed and so far, she seems to be the only known practitioner of the _Starsteel_-style of dueling.

She has revealed how she came into the Arcadia Movement's hands, however. Divine had somehow heard of her abilities and approached her with an offer. She was only twelve at the time and refused. Her _sensei_ intervened and the situation erupted into a duel. Despite her _sensei_'s victory in the duel, Divine's Psychic abilities proved too much and killed him.

She spent nearly three years as a member of the Movement, undergoing Divine's stringent tests, which including everything from shock therapy to Chain Duels until she collapsed and even the use of Shock Collars often used in the Underground Dueling League. Divine was always pushing her, trying to see the utmost limits of what she could do.

Her rebellious nature and actions eventually led to him using Rave as a brainwash-test subject, as well fitting her with limiters that would eventually become the style used on Aki Izayoi. His mind control, however, wasn't perfect and Rave was able to keep herself together by relying on her _Starsteel_ martial arts training.

Once Arcadia happened and she fell into the Shadowchasers, her first priority was to free and dismantle the Arcadia Movement. However, Divine's lack of involvement with Shadowkind and his powerful connections meant he was not the Shadowchasers problem and Rave's word alone wasn't enough to make him so.

After the events of the Dark Signers and the Three Emperors and Z-ONE, Rave went after the Arcadia Movement again- this time to save and help any the corrupt organization had harmed. Divine was alive, revived by the Crimson Dragon alongside the Earthbound Immortal's victims, but had been locked up in solitary in the Facility. It was the perfect timing and to Rave's surprise, she found and unlikely ally and friend in Aki Izayoi.

Rave, thanks to her incredible level of endurance, had often been Aki's sparring 'partner' when Divine was teaching her to use her powers. The two have bonded over their experiences and remain in good contact with one another. Their attempts to undo the damage of the Arcadia Movement had mixed success, but the Movement itself was finished even if a few die-hards denied it. They both personally made sure that no one would ever be able to profit from Divine's research.

Rave's appointment to Backwater was surprisingly mundane considering her previous activities in life. Like many Aware who had been plunged into a world of fantasy made flesh head-first, the apprentices were rotated through Backwater was a way to ease their transition and acceptance. Rave simply decided she liked living in the town and asked to stay.

Her experience as a mechanic is something she actually worked hard for, attending several technical schools online and earning several degrees. She enjoys building D-Wheels that aren't for standard humans, finding it challenging rewarding work and has spent many happy hours in her garage designing them.

She is a Midwest Duel Academy Graduate as well, having attended alongside Tsubasa. As such, the two are share a great love of dueling though she approaches it more seriously than her light-hearted comrade. They have a mild rivalry going on during the duel field, stemming from their early Academy days and she's often the first to experience the strange successes (and equally insane failures) of Tsubasa's deck designs.

_Powers:_ Unlike any other Shadowchaser, Rave struggles to use magic to any successful degree. She understands it very well in a technical aspect, but the actual application always seems to falter somewhere. As such, she relies entirely on her Psychic Abilities to fight and deal with things that come her way. She always carries a small pouch of cards to manifest and there are also several hidden around her person should she lose that case.

Despite having access to Divine's data on the subject, no one can really quite grasp how Rave's powers work. She cannot make monsters real outside of a duel or heal like Aki, though she retains the ability to make damage real during a duel. And while she can manifest equip cards to use for herself, the weapons vanish or shatter if they leave her grasp and even advanced technological and magical examinations simply come up with a big '?' as to what the weapons are actually are and what they're made out of.

However, her lifetime of training and experience with her skills and weapons make her a very formidable person in a fight and her skill with her Twin Swords is said to be right up there with Jalal and Gideon of the Color Guard fame.

_Deck: _Rave's Starsteels are also something unique to her. No one else has been recorded as using the set and she have offered the explanation that her _sensei_ had the set specially made for her as his first student. This has lead to wild guessing as to _who_ her _sensei_ could be to have that kind of pull at Industrial Illusions.

The Startsteels do only one thing and do it well. They mill themselves into the graveyard to set up for fusions and use said fusions to dominate the opponent. Tsubasa has been known to complain that the Starsteels are 'predictable', but Rave will always correct with him 'consistent.'

Their theme of star and constellation naming is odd among the dueling world, as well since celestial names and bodies are generally kept for use of big, powerful or rare cards. Not an entire set. Again, Rave has offered the explanation that her _sensei_ had a reason for choosing such things and this has prompted even further questions she ignores.

Though she has been a Shadowchaser for over ten years now, she has not revealed the entire extent of her deck's monsters and abilities and there is a long-held rumor that she still retains the original contract her teacher had with I2 and uses it to have them make new cards for her once in awhile.

_Origins: _Rave came about in part because Psychic Dueling was an aspect of 5Ds that sadly got dropped after the Dark Signer arc. And made worse when the later seasons shoved Aki into a corner and simply made her powers disappear for strange reasons...which, again, was never followed up despite the potential for character development. Same with the fact when they returned, they could suddenly heal people.

However, I did not want to simply create an Aki clone and took a lot of time debating about what Rave could and could not do with her powers. After all, if you can make monsters real outside of a duel, stopping bad guys suddenly becomes a lot easier when you can threaten them with an Exodia.

Ultimately, I did my best to fill in the gaps that the writers of 5Ds left for us about Psychic Dueling and came up with two rules that I follow for using such a duelist.

1. Manifesting a card is easier to do the simpler the card is.

Divine was a powerful Psychic, yet the most he ever used was Hinotama and Psychic Sword. The former was simply a fireball and the other just a glowing sword. Both are simple concepts and easier to imagine. The same applies to Rave's equip cards.

However, Divine could have do a lot more if he had, say, used Swords of Revealing Light to trap Yusei or throw something like Dimensional Prison at Misty's Earthbound Immortal. Sine he didn't, the means there are limits to what you can do with Psychic powers. Swords of Revealing Light are glowing swords that stop movement-just how would that work in real life? And Dimensional Prison is a gateway to another dimension entirely-how do you open reality to let through like that?

Similar situations arise when you think about Dark Hole and other cards that seem pretty simple, but aren't. Dark Hole is a field nuke, but in real life, you have to try and generate a black hole. What is it made up of? How big is it? Where is the stuff going that falls in side? _Where_ do you put it? In the air? On the floor? Wall? And so on and so forth.

As such, a Psychic Duelist couldn't manifest the effects of those cards in real life because their brain can't figure out how they would exist in the real world. A sword is a sword and saying its 'magic' is plausible, going much farther beyond that is stretching it.

2. Manifesting a monster is an enormous strain on a Psychic outside of a duel.

This one is a bit simpler. We see during all of Aki's duels that she can make damage real, but she's not making the monsters 'real' as much as she is making them 'solid'. The Duel Disk is already projecting the monster's shape and making it move, you just have to make it 'solid.' It's a simple concept and we can presume that how 'solid' something is made is related to the duelist's emotional state. (Given that when Aki freaks out, she does a _lot_ of extra damage.)

However, she very rarely would summon a monster outside of a duel, despite numerous occasions to do so and where an advantage would be had. This suggests to me that doing so is exhausting on her part and she didn't do it more often, despite possibly being the most powerful human Psychic Duelist on the Earth, is because she could have overexerted herself badly. Moreover, the reason she didn't collapse when she _did_ do it can be easily covered by saying the Crimson Dragon is lending her power through her Signer Mark.

These two rules govern how I write Rave, since I am literally exploring uncharted waters with Psychic Duelists and what the show implied on how strong they are could be taken too far. (The manga took things even further- Aki could predict what she is drawing next and Sherry can mind-read her opponent's hands. Good thing they were pitted against each other or otherwise, that'd probably be a very one-sided duel on their sides.)

Created Cards

Threepiece:

Dark Factory Mass Production Line  
Continuous Spell Card  
Effect: Once per turn, you may banish a Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from your Graveyard. Then Special Summon one Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from your Deck who has the same Type as the Banished monster.

Rave:

Constellation Engine- Libra  
Normal Spell Card  
Effect: Add one 'Constellation Engine' from your Deck to your Hand. You may only activate one 'Constellation Engine' Spell Card per turn. If this card is banished from your Graveyard to Fusion Summon a 'Starsteel' Monster, apply the following the effect to the summoned monster: All face-up monsters on your opponent's side of the field have their ATK and DEF scores set to their original ATK and DEF scores.

Zodiac Power Array  
Equip Spell Card  
Effect: Equip only to a 'Starsteel' monster. Increase the equipped monster's ATK and DEF by 500x the number of 'Constellation Engine' cards in your Graveyard and Banished Pile. When this card is sent from the Field to the Graveyard, move all Banished 'Constellation Engine' cards to your Graveyard.

Starsteel Hercules  
LIGHT  
8 stars  
Machine/Fusion  
3000/1000  
Material: 3 Starsteel Monsters

This card may only be Fusion Summoned by banishing the above Fusion Material Monsters from your Graveyard plus one 'Constellation Engine' card.


	4. Best Served Cold Justice On The Rocks

Knightfall  
By 7th Librarian

A/N: _One more free warning about the rating level of this story, since it is 'M' and this chapter promises to deliver on that. After this, you will have to take it as it comes._

_On a lighter note, our fun fact for the day is that Rave dyes her hair differently colors weekly and no longer remembers what her original hair color was supposed to be._

Chapter 4: Best Served Cold; Justice On The Rocks

Technically, Backwater had no reservations surrounding it.

During America's formative years, the city had gained a small reputation for tolerance and an ability to actually respect treaties made with the native populace. As a result, many migrant populations of Shadowkind settled and intermingled in territory surrounding the city as it grew into a trading hub for the region.

Later on, many Shadowkind fled the violence of the Civil War and sought refugee within the city limits. But by this time, the city was less of a melting pot of cultural mixing and more of a powder keg just waiting to explode. Racial tensions, political and religious views and long-lived rivalries were all running high, and only the fact Rayearth and the team of Shadowchasers at the time were more than willing to beat them all within inches of their lives kept the tenuous peace.

As the Civil War ended and Reconstruction began, Backwater's tensions were gone thanks to the city uniting to repulse an invasion. But it was only temporary and there was serious consideration that the city would have to be abandoned lest the conflict trigger another repeat of the vampire's fate. With some political maneuvering, a few well-paced bribes and Rayearth being very frightening, a solution was reached.

The city itself would shrink its official borders and what remained would parceled out to the most conflicting groups that pretty much claimed their territories anyway. Dark elves, a tribe of Yokai who had separated themselves from the Four Great Clans, a dragon named Thosselmuck and a few other groups were ceded the territory. Taking advantage of the ability to create reservations from the U.S. Government, the situation worked to create concrete boundaries to eliminate the conflict and provide another layer of protection from Mundane law and influence.

All of the reservations were self-governing like their Native American counterparts and while technically, the Shadowchasers had no legal authority over them since they were part of the Backwater Police Department, no one really pressed the issue if the Shadowchasers came calling for whatever reason. (The elders of the reservations were alive at the time joke that refusing Rayearth and her then-team was akin to stopping a storm from raining by yelling at it.)

A little over ten years previously, however, when Empress Tarmanda had led her band of followers on a foolish quest to overthrow the Shadowchasers that ultimately lead to a public assassination attempt on Jalal and the Ophidia being declared an outlaw race, many other Shadowkind races used that decree as chance to settle old grudges and enact some racism upon whatever Ophidia they could lay their hands on. Again, Backwater was the place of choice to run to.

But trouble followed the Ophidia, for many races with long memories hold even longer grudges. Quick thinking on Gritzoban's part lead him to cede a portion of land to several snake-blooded individuals as a reservation, who promptly allowed the Ophidia to settle there while at the same time following the decree of an outlaw race _and_ allowing the Backwater Shadowchasers to drive off any who wanted a hunk out of the Ophidia legally. Once the crisis had passed, the Ophidia had simply decided to stay where they were and make the best of their situation.

The transition had been smooth and since then, things had been relatively peaceful. But there always seemed to be a few people who hadn't gotten the message.

The _Heavy Metal_ pulled up alongside a new model D-Wheel parked that Gurren noted had several modifications mounted on it that he was sure weren't entirely legal. Interestingly, he noted it had mounts for a possible side-car.

Killing his engine, he dismounted and readjusted his suit as he took a quick look around.

It was easy to locate the disturbance. About a dozen yards away, there was a large collection of Ophidia standing a little ways away from another Ophidia who was arguing with a red-haired elf woman that Gurren assumed was Naricka. The argument was rather heated and even a few steps closer allowed him to hear.

"-this is the last time, Naricka! I'll get Jalal to throw you in a cell, doing paperwork for the rest of your lifespan!" The ophidia was dressed in custom, formal office dress and her expression was furious. "And that's if we don't kick you out and let the Ophidia courts deal with you, let alone the dozen other groups that want a piece of you!"

"You're all bluster and blow, snake. I haven't broken any rules and you know it." Naricka's smirk was one of someone who was enjoying the trouble they were causing. She was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, but chains were wrapped around her forearms and lower legs, as well as serving as belts that crossed in an 'x' around her pants. A few others dangled out of her pockets and even around her neck as necklaces. "So chill out and go find a sunny rock to sleep on or something, will you? I'm trying to get something more important than paper-pushing out of the way, here."

"You don't have the authority to order me around. And your 'investigation' is hardly worthy of the term!" The Ophidia snapped back. "There haven't even been any sightings of Fredrick Snakeskin in this area! He was last sighted near Los Angeles!"

Naricka folded her arms. "Fredrick isn't some low-level thug, you know. Unlike most snakes, he made something of himself. Even if we busted up his group, he's still got contacts around the country. He's slippery and we have to root him out by following up even the slightest of leads. There are only so many rocks he can crawl under."

"Following up a lead _does_ not include harassing innocent people." The Ophidia glowered. "I'm a hair away from bringing you up on charges of racism, harassment and abuse of authority."

"As if. I haven't called anyone any bad names, I've never touched a hair on anyone's head here and I've done everything in the purview of my duties." The elf's smirk shifted into a slight sneer.

"You have ignored orders, Naricka. You were supposed report into Rayearth the moment you arrived. While that is not a crime, it is a sign of irresponsibility and lack of respect." Gurren's presence and deep voice drew both of the pair's attention. He nodded at the Ophidia. "Hebi-Na. A pleasure to see you again."

"I wish it were under better circumstances, Gurren." Hebi-Na told him, still glowering at Naricka.

The elf lifted an eyebrow, hands stowed in her pockets. "Geeze, snake, you so hell bent on trying to nail me for something, you bring in a golem to try and muscle me around? That sounds more like harassment than what you think my investigation is."

"I am not a golem." Gurren responded kindly. "I am a Shadowchaser, just as you are."

"Huh." Naricka regarded him skeptically. "I'd hear stories of a golem being smart enough to be a Shadowchaser, but figured it was just someone's story. Didn't think that a walking boulder could get enough IQ to really do it."

"I get that a lot." Gurren replied and then continued. "What is your explanation for ignoring orders?"

"Outstanding warrants and open investigations supersede travel orders, golem. So I'm just doing my job." Naricka jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the Ophidia gathered behind her. "Making sure that a wanted criminal doesn't have a bolt hole to hide in while the other snakes cover for him."

"And for the last time, Fredrick is _not here._" Hebi-Na said forcefully. "They told you he wasn't."

"And I'm just supposed to go accept that?" Naricka rounded on Hebi-Na and pointed at her. "A race that has a long history of being liars, cheats, violent and conquering, not to mention been an outlaw race more than _once_ isn't exactly trustworthy in my book."

"The actions of a few don't condemn an entire race, Naricka." Hebi-Na ground out sternly. "They are allowed the benefit of the doubt, same as any other group. And unless you found evidence of Fredrick's presence or possess a warrant, your 'investigation' here is _over._"

"Whatever. If you snakes are covering for one another, I'll find out eventually. And if you're not, well, the fact that I'm around should keep you all in line." The elf turned back to Gurren. "Okay, rocky, you lead the way back to this backwater town so we can get this so-called 'remedial training' over with and I can get back to my job."

"My name is Gurren, Naricka. Please use it."

"Gurren, rocky, golem, they're all accurate." She waved his request away and folded her arms. "Let's go already."

Gurren remained where he was, watching her with an air of expectation.

She frowned at him. "What? I know you don't have ears, but you aren't deaf. You heard me. Can we please get going?"

He didn't move.

A sigh. "Look, Gurren, sorry about the rocky crack."

"I should not be the one you should be apologizing to." Gurren held out a hand towards the group behind her. "You owe these people an apology."

"What? Are you serious?" Naricka's beautiful face morphed into a scowl. "You want me to apologize for _doing my job?"_

"Your job created an inconvenience for these Ophidia. It is the least you can do."

"So what!? Sometimes, that's how life is." The elf snapped. "My people never got any thanks for helping humanity crawl its way out of the blasted mud, creating civilization on this mudball _and_ keeping groups like these snakes from making meals out of them! Compared to that, a little inconvenience like this barely measures up!"

"Then thank you for your efforts in the past." Gurren said politely. "But that was then and this is now."

"You owe us elves a lot more than a 'thank you'." Naricka grumbled at him and rolled her eyes, staring for her D-Wheel. "Whatever, rocky, you want play nice with the predators, be my guest. I'm going to get this bullcrap redtape cleared up and out of my way."

She was stopped as Gurren extended a massive arm in her path. She glanced on it and then flicked an annoyed gaze up at him. "You're really starting to get on my nerves and that's not a good thing to do to an elf."

"I know exactly what you are capable of, Naricka of the Bindings. You are a roaming Shadowchaser who specializes in capture and transportation of criminals via the use of her magical chains. You have been in service for six years and received several commendations for your tenacity and capture rate." A rocky eyebrow rose. "Also several notices about your arrogance, the amount of pressure you pour on to suspects, an inability to let something go and altogether a 'lone wolf' attitude that has cultivated you few friends."

"Cute. You've learned information that anyone who can read my file can." She scowled. "Now make like a boulder and roll out of my way, mountain man."

"Hebi-Na." Gurren ignored the elf and spoke directly to the Ophidia. "While you're in town, I assume you wish to visit Tsubasa?"

"Of course." Now a bit more settled, Hebi-Na tucked a bit of her hair behind an ear. "I'm on vacation and was planning on it, anyway, even if this misfit made it a bit sooner than I would have liked."

"He is currently bemoaning his fate about doing dishes. I'm sure seeing you would do him a world of cheer." Gurren suddenly produced as set of keys and tossed them to her. "Take these keys with you, please."

"What!? Hey, those are-" Naricka yelped as she realized that somehow, Gurren had pickpocketed her keys off her. "Those are mine!"

She made to move toward Hebi-Na, but Gurren's hand in front of her stopped her cold and the Ophidia vanished into a portal with a very smug expression.

"You seem to have an abundance of energy, Narcika. Since that is the case, I see no reason why a run back to town is any problem." Gurren said calmly.

"A _run!?_" She whirled on him and her eyes bugged out. "That has to be at least a mile!"

"Four, actually." Gurren informed her. "And I have heard that elves are hardy and capable. Surely such a simple thing is easy for you."

"That's not the point!" She snapped and stomped her foot. "That's _my_ bike and you just gave the keys to that snake! Not to mention, who are you to give me orders!?"

"You are here for remedial training. As such, the local Shadowchaser's authority supersedes your own because you are temporarily at apprentice status. We are all to supervise your refresher course." Gurren lifted an eyebrow. "You should not be so irritated. You know this rule and I shouldn't have to apologize for doing my job, right?"

Naricka's mouth opened and she looked absolutely livid before her jaw snapped shut tightly and with a ferocious glare, stalked over towards the _Heavy Metal._

The golem turned towards the gathered ophidia and offer the one in front, who was dressed in ceremonial garb, a bow at the waist. "My apologies, Shaman Hisser, for this trouble."

"Accepted, Master Gurren." Hisser returned the bow and flicked his tongue out playfully. "Would it be too much trouble for us to simply eat her if she returns?"

"Unfortunately so, Shaman."

"A pity."

"Perhaps not, Shaman." Gurren said and readjusted his sunglasses. "She seemed rather stringy."

The shaman gave a hissing laugh. "True. And she probably tastes as foul as she speaks."

"We will work to correct her attitude."

"Elves are stubborn and slow to change." Hisser shook his staff to emphasis his point. "Much like the plants they spend their lives worshipping. Your method to fix her broken mouth must be special indeed."

"A bar of soap works wonders."

TTTTTT

"Stupid, stupid dishes..." Tsubasa was up to his elbows in suds, a massive pile of clean dishes stacked next to him. But it was still small compared to the mountain of dirty ones on the other side. "We can magically teleport ourselves across a planet, but can't come up with a magical way to clean dirty dishes..."

"We have, actually." Rayearth was still seated at the table reading her paper. "It's called a dishwasher."

"And why don't have we have one!?"

"We do. We even gave it a name." A ghost of smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "We call it 'Tsubasa'."

The younger man just groaned and rinsed some suds off a plate morosely.

"Right, then." Tsukihime strolled through the room. She was still dressed in her cleric outfit, but carried a case in one hand. "I'm off to work."

"This early in the day?" Rayearth asked.

"It's nearly noon." The succubus pointed out. "Lunch rush is going to hit the _Blue Blood._"

"You're going to spend all day at the bar?" Tsubasa glanced over his shoulder.

"Its only a bar and nightclub after six. Diner between eight and five." Tsukihime reminded him. "And as co-owner, I need to make a few appearances now and again. Plus, there is the fact of Trueman's little 'gifts' scattered around the city."

"That Agent Smith wannabe is just trying to screw with us. Besides possession, the cards probably don't do anything unless you duel someone who plays it. There's not much threat." Tsubasa said.

"That is also the problem." Rayearth told him. "You cannot simply detect a dark card with magical examinations. And they cannot be detected when played unless the possession is strong. The magical interference from the city and its residents means ones of us will have to be rather close in order to sense one if it is played."

"Right. And the _Blue Blood_ tends to erupt into several duels a night. Until we deal with Trueman and all of his dark cards, we need to keep ourselves in places they're likely to show up." Tsukihime ignored Tsubasa's sound of annoyance as she grabbed a freshly-washed glass and got herself some water.

"We didn't detect the guy for eight years or so he said. And now all of a suddenly he just shows, right after Skeleton Knight and spouting some crap about the truth?"Tsubasa groused at the pan he was washing. "I say he's lying and they're planning something."

"Not necessarily." Rayearth finished her paper and folded it up neatly before downing the last of her coffee. "Most people do not live long enough to notice, but the rise of a great power or evil tends to create a chain reaction of similar events. Power draws power, Tsubasa. It is almost cyclical, history repeating itself over and over."

"Mmph." The younger man grunted and stacked the pan into the appropriate pile. "So the bad guys don't like other people playing in their sandbox, fine. But why do this now? Trueman could have just waited until Skeleton Knight took us out or we took him out and then hit us while we're weak."

"I believe Trueman is still feeling us out, learning, waiting. The dark cards are probably powerful, but ultimately not something he can beat us with. This is information gathering on his part. His timing probably comes _because_ of Skeleton Knight – if what he told you is true, he wants to battle us at our strongest and a two-sided conflict would push us to our limits. At the same time, he is now on Skeleton Knight's timetable because Skeleton Knight is the aggressor. Trueman waits too long or acts too slow and we're dead before he can solve his 'Equation." Rayearth snorted slightly at the last word.

"I say we track them both down and throw them up against one another. Then pick up the pieces when we're done." Tsubasa said.

"When guys like that fight each other, it usually leaves a lot of people caught in the crossfire." Tsukihime said and polished off the last of her water as she leaned against the counter. "We can't track where Skeleton Knight went, and the Dark Cards are our only lead on Trueman. We can't act on information we don't have and until something give us a break towards either of them, we have to react to what _they _do."

"This 'villains act, heroes react' bullcrap is stupid. They all seem to set the rules to the games we play." Tsubasa frowned.

"They do not. There is only one to rule to the game that our opponents and we follow." Rayearth stood, paper tucked under her arm. "And I set it."

Tsubasa and Tsukihime looked at her curiously.

"Crush any who threaten this city with all our strength and cast them into Hell." With that elegant phrase, the Incantifer vanished down a hallway.

"Simple, but effective." Tsukhime said after a short pause and Tsubasa grunted in agreement.

There was a slam of the front door and a few moments later, a familiar head poked around the corner. "Tsubasa? Little birdie told me you're trapped doing dishes."

"Hebi-Na!" Tsubasa immediately brightened as the Ophidia slid her way into room and over to him. He moved to hug and then stopped himself halfway with a start. Sheepishly, he held up his sudsy hands. "Ahh, sorry, a little preoccupied..."

"That's quite alright, dear. I've got a better way to say I missed you." Hebi-Na simply grabbed his shirt front and yanked him over for a kiss.

They parted and Tsubasa regarded her with a touch of a dazed smile. "Why are you here? I thought you were vacationing off in New Zealand."

"I _was_." Hebi-Na made a face. "An obnoxious excuse for a Shadowchaser decided to hassle the Ophidia here and I was called in."

"Aww, that sucks." Tsubasa joined her in making a face, then smiled. "Still, I'm glad you're here!" Having dried off his hands, he swept her in a hug and kissed her again before nuzzling her face.

Hebi-Na giggled at his affections and ran a hand through his hair playfully. "If you're going to treat your lady like this, maybe I should stop by more often. "

"Oh, he's like a dog, Hebi-Na." Tsukihime had been watching the exchange with a bemused smile on her face. "He hears you're coming and he starts wagging his tail. Tease him enough and he'll start begging for a treat."

"Ha ha." Tsubasa stuck his tongue out at his teammate. "I am not a dog, I'm a badass."

"Oh, I dunno." Hebi-Na grinned to herself. "You're awfully loyal, obedient enough to do anything I ask, always know what to do when I'm sad, and so fun to cuddle."

Tsubasa pouted. "Not a dog..."

"Awww, don't be like that." Hebi-Na kissed his nose and smiled as his blush. "After all, good dogs get treats."

"Treats? Do we have candy?" Rave's voice floated out of a hallway, her pink-and-gold hair flashing in the light slightly as she entered the kitchen. She gave a disappointed look as she realized there wasn't any candy. "Oh, hey, Hebi-Na."

"Nice to see you, too." Hebi-Na told her dryly. "Where have you been?"

"Dealing with a local crazy and a dragon made out of junk." Rave shifted her gaze to Tsubasa. "Hey, I've gotten most of the parts I need from the junkyard. You'll be getting the new _Mach Wing_ in about two weeks, I think."

"Great! I-" Tsubasa yelped as he felt Hebi-Na's tail wind around his ankle and yank him of his feet as she made for one of the hallways. "Uhhh...hello?"

"I haven't seen you in months, I'm on vacation and you're not busy." Hebi-Na informed him. "We're spending some quality time together."

"But...dishes..."

"They'll be there when we're done."

"And when will that be?"

"When I say it is."

Tsubasa sprawled helplessly on the floor as his girlfriend drug him down the hallway. "And how do you determine that?"

"By how hard you have exert yourself to move."

"...we're not going to fight again, are we? I _really_ can't bend like you can...I have this thing called a 'spine.'."

"It'll learn. Just takes a lot of practice..."

"You idea of practice both excites and terrifies me."

"I'm predator. I like you that way."

"But..."

"If you're a good boy, I'll let you do anything you want..." She sing-songed at him and batted her eyes.

"...stupid cute eyes on stupid cute face on stupid hot snake lady."

"Thank you for the praise, dear. And I was smart enough to fall for you, wasn't I?"

Rave and Tsukhime watched as Hebi-Na and her boyfriend dissappeared down the hallway, presumably towards the human's room for some privacy.

"...he's so whipped."

"Definately."

"Literally?"

"They're not _that_ kinky..."

TTTTTTT

Cyberspace, technically, did not exist. After all, electronic information was simply ones and zeroes and there was no 'world' inside a computer because there was no actual physical space. Simply non-existent numbers that were read in very complex patterns to produce something that the human brain could perceive as words, an image, etc, etc. The sheer idea of an 'adventure in cyberspace' was simply ludicrous.

For something that didn't exist, cyberspace was awfully pretty in its own way.

Kenshin was seated crosslegged on 'ground' comprised of oddly blue tiles of various shapes and tiles stacked together. Some were tangible, some were not and the 'ceiling' was a reverse image of the ground. In all other directions, the space stretched out impossibly long before vanishing into a pitch-black horizon. The whole space had feeling of vast potential and what one was seeing was nothing more than 'building blocks' for all of that possibility. It even seemed alive as once in a while, little sparks of gold energy would trace paths of right angles along the ground or ceiling, but Kenshin ignored them.

Floating about a foot in front of her face was an impossibly complex golden mechanism. It was comprised of gears that were also shaped like triangles, cubes and trapezoids alongside the standard circles. They were interlocked and situated together in ways that defied logic-some of them went _through_ another gear's solid center.

The spirits attention was entirely focused on mechanism. Every now and then, she'd reach out to rotate or push one of the gears, watching as the entire thing shifted and clicked about with each action. On a few twists, she'd touch another gear and watch it fade to see-through, letting her see how the interior would react to something on the outside being moved.

"_Kenshin?"_ A screen opened up in the air beside her, displaying Jalal's curious face. "_How's it coming?"_

"About as well as when you asked me half an hour ago." Kenshin told him sharply. "Which is to say, not very well because _someone _keeps bothering me!"

"_I'm sorry, but this is important. Our contacts are already telling us that Yliaster is in a small uproar about __what__ the contents of this hardrive being in our possession means." _Jalal said. "_If you need help, I can pull Karl and SAL from their current project and-"_

"No! You asked me to do, so I'm going to do it!" Kenshin snapped. "Just stop bothering me!"

"_I'm not sure I like your tone-"_

Kenshin let out a growl of frustration and then waved her hand, a little file appearing nearby. She tapped it and it began to expand.

"_Kenshin, what are you-"_ Jalal's image vanished as the file swallowed it.

"Maybe a meme get me some quiet..." No longer distracted, the spirit returned to fiddling with the locking mechanism.

TTTTTTT

Jalal stared with a completely baffled expression at what was on his computer screen.

"_NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN!" _

"...I don't understand. Why is the cat's body made out of a Pop Tart?"

TTTTTTT

The _Blue Blood_ was busy for a week night. A pulsing techno beat and an array of flashing lights filled the lower level and the dance floor was packed with teens and young adults celebrating the end of the school and work day. Those that were not dancing were gathered around tables, laughing and trading stories between bits of wings and pizza.

Thankfully, on the bar level all of the noise was muted and a more relaxed, slow feeling permeated the atmosphere. Though Tsukihime noted as she mixed a drink that no one was occupying the seats near the center of the room, which was cut out to allow viewing of the dance floor below. Given the 40+ age range of the night's customers, it was probably to avoid seeing what passed as 'dancing' for the younger crowd. Or avoid the embarrassment of seeing one's child as part of that crowd.

Finishing her mixing, she slid the drink down the bar with practiced ease and settled against the counter, her eyes roving over the night's patrons. She recognized many of them as regulars and was pleased to realize that she could identify them all by name and favored drink.

"Any reason you're bartending tonight?" The voice was sweet and the speaker was a Never-Born doll that had to stand on the bar for her head to meet Tsukihime's chin. Dressed in a little black uniform with a nametag identifying her as 'Melissa', she seemed all-too innocent to be working at a bar.

"No real reason, beyond being a touch bored." Tsukihime informed her, not going out of her way to mention Trueman or the threat of Dark Cards among the city. It'd have just spread a panic and ruined the evening's mood. "And figuring you could use a little help."

Melissa dismissed the concern with a flap of her hand. "Please. I can handle these guys if they get a little too rowdy." She drummed her heels on the counter with an almost sadistic smile. "I may be short, but I can reach everything I need to reach with these."

"Sometime, I think you enjoy your work a little too much, Melissa." Tsukihime said wryly.

"Hey, I didn't take those online courses for nothing. 'Sides, these guys would all be stuck with straight liquor if I wasn't here to mix their fancy drinks." Melissa chuckled and nudged the bar's waiter with her elbow as he passed. "Ogall here can't tell whiskey from rum."

"If it gets you drunk, that's all that matters." Ogall, a bugbear, growled as he swept another tray full of drinks off the bar to deliver to another table. "Good booze shouldn't taste like fruit."

"That's why you're the waiter and not the bartender- no passion." Melissa put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "You'll never master the art of 'tending without that."

"I'm just here to master a paycheck and my bills." Ogall grunted and shifted his red-eyes to Tsukihime. "By the way, Solex is back."

"Solex?" Tsukihime's eyes narrowed as her lips curled and she flicked her gaze back over the tables.

It was a moment before she found him. It was a corner table, the one farthest from the bar and it was crowded with a group of young women-and even a few men- dressed in high-end dresses and suits. Most of them had drinks in their hands and were of a variety of races, but all of their attention was focused on the flaxen-haired elf in the white suit.

He would have cut a handsome figure even without the suit, but in it, he was an eleven on a ten-point scale. Perfect skin and piercing blue eyes, beautifully slender fingers in pristine white gloves that seemed to dance as he used to the describe whatever he was speaking about. A gold bow tie and crimson rose in his lapel completed the picture and even with the easy, brilliant smile on his face, projected an image of regality.

His smile didn't waver as he saw Tsukihime approach and he instead lifted his glass to her. "Hail, hail, Mrs. Nyte. A good evening to you."

Those blue eyes slid over her body and the smile took on a lustful tint. "Quite the interesting apparel you're in tonight, as well. Hot pink and blue. I wasn't aware that clerics of Erestrial could channel a grown-up Dark Magician Girl."

"Solex." Tsukihime spat the word tersely, ignoring the titters and laughter the elf's comment produced from his gang of followers. "Why are you here?"

"Why, the same reason as any of this little dive's patrons." Solex swirled his drink, still smiling. "To relax after a long day's hard work and enjoy some spirits."

Tsukihime spared a glance down at the bottle on the table. It was _Falkmoon Wine_, a kind of wine originally created by vampires and adopted by other races. Powerful and aged several centuries, it was the most expensive item the bar offered with a single shot glass' worth costing nearly five hundred dollars. And Solex had the bottle and was drinking his out of a standard wine glass. "If you did enough hard work to earn even a sip of that bottle today, Solex, I'm sure it would have made the evening news."

He chuckled once. "You wound me so, Tsukihime."

"Ask me if I care." Tsukihime folded her arms. "I'm watching you, Solex."

"As you should-after all, I don't come to this little watering hole to be unobserved. I am gracing this place with my presence and all that should be given in return is the proper affectations." He smiled again, though this time it was more arrogant than pleasant. "Though to draw _your_ attention is something that pleases me. I never thought I'd be able to wrest your eyes off that...crude...wife of yours."

"Pity that you haven't-I only look at you to remind myself how lucky I am to not have a piece of slime like you." Tsukihime smirked as his expression settled into annoyance at her barb. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say that loud? Silly me..."

"Ah, well, that is fine. I am already letting the peons observe the glory that is me, the attentions of a demon whore are hardly at my notice." Solex's annoyance didn't vanish as he took a sip of his wine and then pulled the glass away, his thin lips pursing in annoyance. "Kastleneid, cool this for me."

"Yes, Master." The speaker was seated right next to Solex and Tsukihime was surprised she hadn't noticed her earlier. Her skin was almost too pale to be human, though her long and sleek white that spilled over her as she moved could have been snow. A slim finger touched the side of the elf's glass and almost instantly, a thin layer of frost coated it. "There you are."

"Excellent." Solex took a full drink this time, a pleased expression on his face. "This wine tastes best chilled to the core."

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Solex? We don't allow minors in here." It had taken Tsukhime a second to puzzle out why the person seated next to the elf had bothered her. She was just as abundantly developed, if not more so, than the rest of woman at Solex's table. But it was her face-narrow and innocent and somewhere between a girl and woman's that set off bells in Tsukihime's head. Frozen in adolescence.

"Oh, Kastleneid here?" The elf lounged back in his seat with a smile, drapping one arm over the young lady's shoulders and she immediately snuggled into his side. Which left his free hand only a centimeters from plunging into the deep neckline the insanely-revealing outfit she had on. "She's not a minor."

"Kastleneid." The cleric ignored him. "Why are you here?"

"To please Master." Kastleneid told her and even Tsukihime's trained ears couldn't figure out the pronounced accent the girl had. Somewhere between Nordic and Slavic.

"Why is Solex your 'Master'?"

"Because Master is Master."

A knot formed in Tsukihime's stomach. "Don't you have family?"

"I do not understand the question." Kastleneid said politely.

"Don't you want to do something other than sit there?"

"I do what Master desires me to do."

The knot tightened and doubled in size. "Who is the current President of the United States?"

"I do not understand the question." Her response was simple, sincere.

"What is a Shadowchaser?"

"I do not understand the question."

"What is two plus two?"

"I do not understand the question." Her brow furrowed and confusion flitted across her golden eyes. Then she glanced up at Solex wantingly. "Master?"

"It's fine, Kastleneid, that you don't understand. You don't need to." The elf patted her head and she pratically purred at his affections, nuzzling his chest. "Like I said, Tsukihime, Kastleneid is not a minor. She's only two months old."

The knot warped into Gordian proportions. "What did you just say?!"

"You heard me." Solex gave her an amused look. "She's an organic golem. Two months old, since I only got her recently. Very advanced and expensive, but worth every piece of gold. Part Yuki-Onna and I think a few other things thrown in there. I wasn't picky about that much, though I am pleased that the rest of her was built to my specifications."

"Organic golem- Your specific-" Tsukihime felt the knot turn into a deep, cold feeling as disbelief coated her words. "That's impossible...no one can _build_ another being like...like..."

"Like they were a model kit?" Solex supplied with mock innocence and chuckled. "Well, you know, there's always amazing leaps and bounds in magical science these days. Especially if you know where to look. It is such a..._specialized..._field that only maybe _one _person on the planet could build such an...innovation, yes?"

The groupies around Solex all flinched and yelped as Tsukhime took a dangerous step towards him, her eyes flaring red as she bared fangs she hadn't had moment before. "No, no-there's no way that even you would work with him!"

"I don't know, I went through a legal middleman and all I did was supply some good money and details. And I got what I paid for." Solex shrugged and kissed Kastleneid, his hand wandering to grope body. Kastleneid responded eagerly, panting and moaning softly and pressing at him for more of his ministrations.

They parted and Solex just smiled as she mewled and nuzzled at him, kissing at his neck desperately. "She's my perfect little, interactive toy. "

A perfect, tiny, arrogant smirk. "You could call her my _bitch_, but that would an insult to the dog's intelligence, wouldn't it?'

Tsukihime hadn't even realized that the she had lunged for the elf with an outstretched claw to rip out his throat or that the screams of his companions had fallen on her deaf ears until Melissa's voice reached her. "No! Stop! You can't!"

The succubus snapped back to reality, now realizing that Melissa was pulling on her tail with every ounce of incredible strength in the Never-Born's body and Ogall had seized her wrist in his massive grip...and she had drug both of them forwards with her anyway. Melissa's feet had even dug little furrows in the tiled floor.

Solex just watched the entire situation with that same small smile on his face. He snapped his fingers in mock remembrance. "Oh that's _right._ I'm the Prince of the Sunlit Lands. And the royal family is magically tied to the land we rule over. A 'Fisher King', as it were- our health and safety is equal to that of our home. Which means, thanks to the Great Treaty, I carry diplomatic immunity and any attack on my person is an _act of war._"

He flicked his blue eyes over the lethal-looking claws Tsukihime had extended in his direction. "So I would rethink your position, Tsukihime."

Shrugging off her co-workers, the Shadowchaser glared at him with still blazing red-eyes. "Let's see your diplomatic immunity protect you from-"

"From what? The Shadowchaser's posturing and blustering?" Solex just chuckled derisively and reached into his suit jacket for something. "Given my status, you're supposed to be _protecting _me, not slinging empty threats."

He produced a small folded up sheaf of papers and waved them in Tsukihime's direction. "Not doing a very good job of it, are you?"

Tsukihime simply snatched the papers from his grasp and unfolded them. Her eyes quickly scanned the contents and the sheets crumpled slightly as she realized what they were. "You have..."

"Documention for the legal purchase and ownership of an organic golem such as my Kastleneid here. Meaning I haven't committed any crimes and you can't do a damn thing to me about this except step back and accept what you can't change." Solex took the documents back and returned them to his suit jacket. "Now, to make for this little disturbance, I'll gladly pay full price for another bottle of _Falkmoon_ and refills on my friend's drinks."

The arrogant smirk reached his eyes. "And I'll do my very best to make sure Kastleneid and I keep to decorum provided we have...privacy..."

"No limits."

His expression become puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"No limits." Tsukihime repeated. The red in her eyes was gone, but there was steel in her silvery-green eyes and voice as she spoke. "That's been your goal since you've started mucking around my bar, hasn't it? One night with me without any limits to what you can do."

"Well, well...I suppose I am a transparent little prince to you, demon." He regarded her with fresh interest. "But I doubt I'm going to get that for free..."

"One duel. The night with me against Kastleneid and the agreement that you _never_ appear in the _Blue Blood_ again."

"You want to make a game out of it, do you? Even better..." The elf's eyes glittered with arrogance and excitement. "Very well, I accept."

"Good. Five minutes. On the dance floor." With that, Tsukihime turned and stormed back to the bar.

"Are you nuts?!" Melissa had hopped up on Ogall's shoulder as the pair followed her back. "I know the guy's a prick and deserves to be run over with a steamroller, but to offer yourself like that! He'll use it an excuse to get away with torturing you or whatever else his black mind can think up!"

"And he's not to be underestimated in a duel." Ogall growled out. "His wealth is vast, enough so that I have never seem use the same deck twice here. All of them have been loaded with rare cards."

"Tsubasa is one of my family, remember, so I don't give a damn what Solex plays. I know my own deck inside and out." Tsukihime reached under the bar and produced a duel disk that she slid onto her wrist. "And trust me when I say that whatever Solex can think up to do to me is nothing compared to my past. Succubus, remember?"

"But you're married and there's no way Fayte will let this lie if you lose! And when she blows his brains out, you're going to be kicked out of the Shadowchasers and have started a war with an entire kingdom of elves!" Melissa looked uncomfortable as she said the next part, pained to have to even bring it up. "And even if you win, that Kastleneid woman won't even realize what freedom is."

"I know. But I will not lose, so Fayte murdering the bastard is not a problem and I know that Kastleneid can't even comprehend what is really happening." Tsukihime took a deep breath and let it out to relax herself. "Erestrial is a goddess of love. I am her cleric and that means extending love to those have no love for themselves. Or who don't know how to..."

Her fist tightened. "And to punish those who abuse love, too."

"But..." Melissas protest trailed off as Tsukihime walked past them.

Solex had already cleared the dance floor by the time she made her way downstairs, the crowd backed to the walls and onto the tables. The music and lights had been killed, patrons milling and murmuring to themselves excitedly about another duel, not understanding the stakes.

He hefted an expensive golden Duel Disk set with gemstones and smiled as it slid into active mode. "Do you think you can match the skill of a King, succubus?"(SLP: 8000)

"You're not a king yet, Solex and I've taken down emperors by myself since before your great-grandfathers were born. Don't go thinking your status means anything to me." Tsukihime countered as she activated her own disk. (TLP: 8000)

"Ah, but I was not referring to my royal status, but my prowess of the dueling field. And since I am the challenged, I believe I'll take the first turn." Drawing his sixth card, Solex slid another into his disk and a spell card appeared in front of him. "I'll activate One for One. Now I can discard a monster from my hand to Special Summon a level one monster from my deck to the field. I believe I'll go with Level Eater." (900/0)

He discarded a card and with a low buzz, a moderately sized bug with a level star on its back flew onto his field. Then it vanished, replaced by a looming figure in red armor with a cape made entirely out of flames. "Of course, such a monster is only good for tribute bait. Like for my Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch here." (2400/1000)

"A would-be play king using Monarchs...how original." Tsukihime sneered at him slightly, not caring as a random card in her hand suddenly burst into flames as per Thestalos' effect. She promptly discarded the card and ignored the fact her life points began to trickle down. (TLP: 7300)

"I see I forced you to get rid of a powerful monster. Still, putting things in the graveyard is not always a good thing in this game. So since my Thestalos is level six, like all of my Monarchs, I'll use Level Eater's effect and reduce his level by one to summon it from the graveyard." With another buzzing, the bug reappeared. "And then I'll set two cards face-down to end my turn."

He smiled arrogantly as they appeared in front of him. "Your move."

"Draw." Pulling the card free from her deck, Tsukihime immediately held it up. "Terraforming lets me add a field spell card from my deck to the hand."

She pulled the card she wanted free, not even bothering to put in her hand and instead sliding it quickly into her field slot. "I activate the field spell card Full Moon!"

The crowd watched in amazement as the card's image was produced by the holograms- the ceiling of the bar vanished to be replaced by a star-filled sky with a giant full moon hanging in the center. The crowd on the second level now looked they were seated in the treetops than in balcony seating and moonlight flooded the field.

"An interesting, if simple card..." Solex regarded it casually. "I think this is the first time I've seen you duel..."

"Then I'll do my best engrave every hit I'm going to give you into your mind." Tsukihime held up another spell card. "Moonlight Spotlight has two different effects and I activate the one that requires the light of the Full Moon. Since I posses no monsters, I can special summon a level four or lower Moon Shadow from my deck!"

There was a flash of light and what appeared on her field was a large peacock. It was colored a mix of whites, silver and black and shone softly as the moonlight washed over it. "This is my Moon Shadow- Illusion Captain and because Full Moon makes all of my Moon Shadows LIGHT-monsters, this lets him use the special ability that lets me bring out another one from my hand!" (1200/700)

The peacock spread his giant of feathers and they glowed softly. A moment later, her next monster appeared alongside him. It was small pixie-like creature that looked rather fragile dressed in silver leaves and with gossamer wings. "Moonlight Fey is not much, but she's a Tuner and has a powerful ability." (100/100)

"And that would be-" Solex watched as the Fey floated up above Illusion Captain and level stars appeared above the larger monster's head. "What's she doing?"

"She's doing what your deck does and doing it better." Tsukihime watched as the Fey spread her hands and the level starts doubled to six. "Since she's a light-monster, she can add any number of level stars from 1 to 3 to my monsters. Of course, all the easier to tune my monsters together!"

The peacock and fey broke about into the synchro Rings and stars and to the everyone's surprise, Tsukihime began to sing softly. _"With gathering stars, the light of the moon illuminates a hidden beauty. Living ice, a patient life, rewarded eternal duty! Be bathed in light and descend, Glistening Ice Swan!" _

The monster was unlike any that anyone watched had seen before. She was tall, slender, gorgeous woman in a sleek dress of silverly leaves. In appropriate places on her body were wings tail and a headdress resembling a swan's head. All were carved from crystal clear ice that glittered in the moonlight. (2500/1700)

"Very beautiful." Solex acknowledged, but he was cut off from saying anything further as the Synchro Monster dashed forwards and slashed Thestalos in half with a swipe of her wing. "And deadly." (SLP: 7900)

"When Glistening Ice Swan destroys a monster, I can bring out one Ice Crane Token!" In a flash of light, a crane carved entirely out of ice appeared. And like its creator a moment before, didn't wait to attack as it swooped forward and crushed Level Eater. (800/800)

Tsukihime slid a card into her disk. "This will end my turn."

"Back to me." Solex drew and slid the card into his disk. "The continuous spell card March of the Monarchs is now in play. This means that you cannot target any of my tribute summoned monsters with card effects or destroy them with such things."

He held out his hand and one of his set cards flipped up, transforming into an oddly-shaped spiked blob of material. "And now I'll summon out the trap monster Metal Reflect Slime." (0/3000)

"And as a level ten monster, you can use your Level Eater's effect on it." Tsukihime watched as ten star appeared above the monster and then they were reduced to eight. "Two of them?"

"Yes, I discarded one for my One for One card." Solex chuckled as the two Level Eaters appeared in front of him, only to vanish promptly. "And like before, I'll use these tribute bait monsters to summon out a Monarch."

The ground in front of him erupted and a monolithic form pulled itself free. It looked like Granmarg the Rock Monarch, but was much larger and his tan armor was heavier, more full-bodied. An arch was mounted on his back and extended above his head, unintelligable words written there. "Granmarg has become the Rugged Rock Monarch and with his new level of rule, comes a rise in power." (2800/1000)

Granmarg slammed a massive fist into the ground and the shockwaves caused the forest floor to ripple like water, Tsukihime's and Solex's set cards breaking about into pieces. "Now he destroys two set cards when he's tribute summoned. Mine was Magical Blueprints."

His deck churned and then slid out a card, which he plucked free. "When its destroyed, I can move a continuous trap or spell to my hand, though I can't activate it till my next turn. But I doubt your card did something similar. And here's something something else you can't do. _Rock Wrecker!"_

Granmarg slammed another titanic fist into the ground and this time, a wave of exploding earth shot across the field. The Ice Crane Token let out a wail of surprise and panic as the earth underneath it both collapsed and smashed it to little pieces. "Such beauty is often fragile, I suppose. But you would understand that most, wouldn't you, Tsukihime? That ends my turn, by the way."(TLP: 5300)

"The difference between what you and I understand would fill a library, Solex." Tsukhime snapped as she drew. Tucking the card into her hand, she pointed up at the moon. "During my Standby Phase, I can shuffle Full Moon into my deck and activate New Moon."

Clouds wafted over the moon and when they cleared, it was gone. Immediately, the playing field was plunged into darkness. Glistening Ice Swan's expression darkened as well and the clear ice on her body became as black as pitch. "Now all of my Moon Shadows are treated as Dark monsters."

She tossed a card from her hand down. With a low growling noise, a large, pock-marked boulder appeared on her field. A second later, legs and a head poked out to reveal it was doubling as a shell for a turtle. "Moon Shadow- Comet Turtle in attack mode. But don't get used to him, he's not staying around for too long." (1400/1200)

Glistening Ice Swan let out a chilling series of notes and the turtle frosted over, frozen solid. She sang again and it exploded violently, the pieces flying across the field to smash Metal Reflect Slime into nothingness. "My Swan's dark effect lets her destroy a Moon Shadow in play to do the same to one of your cards."

A card was slid out of her deck and she threw it into the tray. "And when my dark Comet Turtle is destroyed by a card effect, I can summon a level four or lower Moon Shadow from the deck."

Her new monster was a tall, slender woman dressed in a belly-dancer's outfit. She immediately began to dance, moving to music only she could hear. "Moon Shadow- Serene Dancer, upon her summoning, lets me move a card known as Ritual of the Lunar Tides from my deck to my hand." (1900/1500)

Tsukihime grabbed the card and slid it amongst her hand cards. "But I'll save it for later and instead use third effect of New Moon. I can give up eight hundred life points and bring back a Moon Shadow that destroyed this turn." (TLP: 4500)

Comet Turtle reappeared, but it didn't remain there for long as it and Serene Dancer were pulled into the portal opening on her field. Once they were gone, a pale-skinned man stepped out. His hair was perfectly white and spiked, glistening like icicles while his pale blue cape swished behind him. Two motes of light orbited his body. "My Moon-Shadow Frost Breather may not have a high strength for a Xyz monster, but his other powers more than make up for it." (2200/1200)

"And what can that Jack Frost do, hmm? In case you had forgotten, you can't target my Granmarg with an effect thanks to March of the Monarchs." Solex then scowled as one of the motes of light around Frost Breather zipped forwards and smashed into the continuous spell card, coating it a thick layer of ice. "You negated its effect..!"

"And without that protection, I can now weaken Granmarg!" The second orb of light slammed into Gramarg, the Monarch groaning painfully as ice began to spread across its body. (2800/1000-2000/200) "Attack!"

Glistening Ice Swan skated forwards, two swift slashes with her wings shattering the Monarch while Frost Breather lived up to his name, exhaling a wave of frigid air that left Solex staggering as little ice crystals coated his body. (SLP: 7400-5200)

His eyes narrowed as the two Moon Shadows retreated across the field, brushing off his suit. "You are lucky this is holographic and not real, Shadowchaser. This suit is worth more than you are."

"Still not giving a damn about you, Solex." Tsukihime glanced down at her hand and then gestured at him. "Take your turn."

"I draw." Solex slid a card into his disk. "Thanks to my Magical Blueprints, I have my Molding the Monarch card to activate this turn. Now, when I tribute summon, I can add a monster with twenty-four hundred or twenty-eight hundred attack and one thousand defense from my deck to my hand. Of course, the catch being I can't search for the summoned monster."

"And the little fact you either of your little continuous cards seal away your Extra Deck." Tsukihime pointed out. "But given what you're playing, not much of a concern is it?"

"Oh, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I'll playing a very rare, but a very useful card. Card of Demise." The elf smiled as the card appeared in front of him. "Now I draw until I hold five cards, but must discard my hand in five turns.

Drawing each card carefully, he held them out. "But with a hand like this, I don't think we'll even make it three turns past this one."

A seal appeared on his field, spilling out smoke and then a little metal comprised entirely of little metal spheres connected together rose out of it. "Fiend's Sanctuary will generate me one Metal Fiend Token, but I'm not going to need it for than a few moments." (0/0

True to his words, the token vanished and was replaced by a towering, black-armored figure in a tattered cape. Curved horns extended from his helmet as a pair of red eyes opened, glaring darkly. "Meet Caius the Shadow Monarch and of course, he has a tribute summon effect. Specifically, banishing one card on the field and if that just happens to be a dark monster, you take one thousand damage...and guess what your Swan convinently is?" (2400/1000)

Caius raised his hand and a sphere of darkness appeared of it. He hurled it across the field and the Synchro monster shrieked as the darkness slammed it into it. It warped and twisted horribly before being sucked into the nothingness, while crackling energy backlashed onto Tsukihime.

She barely batted an eye as they did so, despite her life points take a sharp drop. "Solid Vision System doesn't hurt, Solex. So if you were expecting me to react, you're going to have to try harder." (TLP: 3500)

"Oh, your reactions will come later tonight, woman. I can promise you that." Solex sneered and caught the card his deck spat out. "Thanks to my Molding card, I can move Zaborg the Thunder Monarch to my hand. Now, Caius, rid the field of that Frost Breather! _Dark Absolute!_"

Like Glistening Ice Swan before it, the Xyz was warped and stretched horribly before be sucked into the black hole Caius hurled across the field. (TLP: 3300)

"With that out of the way, I'll believe I'll set this card face-down and then use my two Level Eaters' effects to turn Caius from a level six monster to a level four one and bring them to my field in defense mode." The two bugs appeared, looking rather tiny when compared to the mighty ruler of shadows. "That's enough for now, I think."

Tsukihime drew and pointed to the sky again. "The cycle of the Moon continues and now my New Moon has become a Full Moon!"

The clouds wafted over the moon's spot again, a soft glow illuminating the clearing as they cleared to reveal the big orb in the sky. Then the moonlight intensified, morphing into a spotlight. A second later, a man armed with a long bow and dressed in star-patterned silver and black robes stepped into it. "A second Moonlight Spotlight and this time, I've brought out my Moon Shadow- Starlight Ranger." (1100/900)

The ranger produced a small horn from his belt and blew on it. A moment passed and then a howl split the air, its source revealed as a shaggy silver-furred wolf trotted out into play. "And he can bring out a level three Moon Shadow from my deck when he's summoned, like Pack Wolf." (800/800)

"But I'm sure, like Tour Guide before it, your Ranger and his pet dog can't be used as Synchro Material." Solex regarded the two monsters with a bored expression. "So you're going to Xyz Summon."

"Gee, you predicted a move by reading my card's text. How clever you are." Tsukihime mocked as her two monsters vanished into a portal. "I overlay my two level three monsters to bring forth Moon Shadow- Lunar Webspinner!"

Her new monster, like her previous two Extra Deck summons, was humanoid. She was slender, with an angular face while her dress looked like black leaves sewn together with a silvery thread. But she had three sets of blue eyes and four spindly spider arms extended from her back. She cooed and watched with a smile as the two Xyz Material spheres orbited her slowly. (900/1200)

"My Webspinner isn't much of an attacker, but I can detach materials to nab a defense mode monster you control so long as their defense scores don't exceed hers! _Ensaring Web!_" The Webspinner snared the two motes of light in her spider arms, the limbs blurring as they worked them like they were pieces of string. When she was satisified with what they were, she flung them out where they ensared the two Level Eaters. With a sharp tug on them, the two monsters were pulled onto Tsukihime's field.

There was a long, low and haunting cry as the Shadowchaser slid a monster card onto her disk. A shaft of moonlight slid across the field and briefly illuminated a slender, small and etheral dragon shape. Then the moonlight passed, but the dragon's eyes were still visible as two pinrpicks comparable to starlight. "Moon Shadow- Star Whisperer is only a level two tuner, but that's all I need." (800/900)

The two level Eaters and the Tuner began to synch together as Tsukihime sang softly again. "_Running with wind's grace, blessed by the moon's light and never without family. Howling with all strength and call your children, Wolf Mother!" _

Wolf Mother was tall, powerfully built woman. Though she was naked, most of her body was covered in thick fur like it was an outfit and a staff with a crescent moon at the top was held in her hands. "When Wolf Mother is summoned, I can bring out all Pack Wolves in my graveyard!" (1800/1200)

The woman howled up at the moon, her cry joined by the Pack Wolf as it trotted out of the forest again. "And now that even one of her children is in play, her power increases to protect them! And that means she has more than enough to destroy your Monarch!" (1800-2600)

Caius' thick armor was useless as paper would have been as the Wolf Mother dashed forwards and racked her claws across his chest. The metal rent and tore, shadows pouring out of it as the essence of the being within fled. It clattered to the ground as Lunar Webspinner was coming up in her own charge, her spider legs whirling like whips and lashing Solex everywhere they could reach. The elf staggered, then hastily threw up an arm to defend himself as Pack Wolf sank its fangs into his wrist. (SLP: 5000-4200)

"You blasted mutt...!" Solex kicked the wolf away, growling at it as it trotted away. Rubbing his wrist, he lifted his head to look at Tsukihime appraisingly. "I am impressed, you know. You've never lost a step of your momentum since this duel started."

"I've been playing this game since before Duelist Kingdom. And of course..." Tsukihime glared, her eyes flashing red and her snarl baring a fang. "Having the urge to rip out your intestines and feed them to you always helps."

"I'm sure it does." Solex took her threat in stride, still more than a little smugness to his smile. "But all that experience and you still haven't learned to bend the rules to your advantage."

"When I figure out a way to rip out your throat and make it look like an accident, you'll be the first person I let know!"

He just chuckled. "Allow me to demonstrate, Tsukihime. The power of a King!"

He drew for his turn and slid the card into his disk. "Reoccuring Nightmare lets me add my two ever-useful Level Eaters to my hand since they have zero defense points."

Picking the two cards up, he added a third card from his hand and flipped around all three to show Tsukhime. "Magical Shard Excavation lets me discard them to fetch my Card of Demise from my graveyard."

The elf didn't stop there, a third spell card being flipped around. "Emergency Teleport brings out a level three or lower Psychic monster form my deck. I choose my Risebell the Star Adjuster."

In a flash of light, the monster appeared and didn't resemble any of the traditional Psychic monsters Tsukihime had ever seen. He was completely human, dressed in a dark body suit of some kind. But then a odd-colored glow surrounded him and she could see faint outlines of some kind of snake-creature curled around his body. (800/800)

"Risebell's special ability is that when I special summon him, I can take one monster I have in play and add three to its level. So I think I'll do that to him, doubling his level from three to six." Risebell looked up above his head his level stars appeared above him and then swiftly doubled.

Then one winked out, reducing his level to five, and a Level Eater appeared alongside him. As all the other times it had before, it swiftly vanished and was replaced by another massive armored figure. Lightning crackled dangerously around his form and every time his green cape snapped, it sparked violently. "Zaborg the Thunder Monarch lives up to his name when he's tribute summoned, destroying a monster on your field to demonstrate his might!" (2400/1000)

Tsukihime braced herself as Zaborg's lightning stabbed across the field and blew her Wolf Mother to pieces before she even had time to react.

"And as before, my Molding card will move another Monarch to my hand. And I think I want my second Caius." Tucking the monster into his rapidly dwindling hand, Solex plugged two cards into his disk rapid succession. "I'll set one card and re-activate my Card of Demise. "

He refilled his hand and smiled smugly. "And my ascension to victory in this duel continues. First, I'll activate another Fiend's Sanctuary and then reveal the normal spell card I just set, which is Double Summon. No need to explain it with that kind of name, eh?"

The token appeared and then was gone as the looming form of Caius joined Zaborg on the field. Without waiting, the Shadow Monarch hurled another black void and Lunar Webspinner cried out painfully as she was wrenched into the nothingness like someone crumpling up a sheet of scrap paper. (2400/1000)

Light flared for a second and when it faded, a lanky figure was standing there. Dressed in a crazy mix of yellow and black, he had an insane grin and little cubes floated around his head. "My second Emergency Teleport brings for Krebrons from my deck." (1200/700)

Solex spread his arms wide, encompassing his monsters. "As you can see, I've gathered a powerful selection of creatures and now, my dear, I am going to show you the power you can achieve when you bend the rules to your favor!"

"What are you-" Tsukihime froze as Solex's remaining set card flipped up, revealing it to be a trap card. "Magic Deflector?"

"That's right- this card negates the effects of my two Monarch spell cards for one turn, meaning now I have access to my Extra Deck! And that means you are about to face some of the most feared monsters in the game!"

Tsukihime could only watch as Zaborg and Risebell were pulled together for an Overlay while Krebrons and Caius began to Tune together. Black flames spilled out of the portal, becoming a shadowed figure of pure darkness. Heavy black feathered wings spread as the twisted parody of an angel pulled a sword of red flames out of the air. Alongside it, the Synchro monster was equally tall and powerfully built. Dark muscle was lain bare as bone armor fell into place on it. Jagged golden bone formed its claws and support for the massive wings as it let out an eager roar.

Solex laughed as the two monsters spread their wings, framing him like the royalty he was. "These two monsters are your end, Shadowchaser! Ardeus, Keeper of Armageddon and Thought Ruler Archfiend!" (2600/1700) (2700/2300)

Ardeus lifted his sword, one of the motes of light orbiting him being sucked inside. The weapon doubled in size and intensity. "By expending one Xyz Material, Ardeus can destroy one card on your field! So show her my might and attack the moon!"

The fallen angel hurled his weapon into the sky like it was a javelin, a streak of red tracing its path. Tsukihime watched it for a moment and then flung out her hand, her set card lifting up. "I activate the continuous trap card Shadowed Moon! As long as it is in play, you can't destroy my field cards!"

Heavy clouds covered the moon rapidly even as Ardeus' weapon vanished into them. Everyone watched and then a moment later, the blade fell out of the clouds. It landed point-first in the dirt, Ardeus picking up with a look of hatred directed towards Tsukihime. "Ardeus, take out our anger on her monster!"

Ardeus complied and he flew forwards and drove flame sword into Pack Wolf. Flesh sizzled and the wolf howled in pain before exploding in digital dust and the angel's face became a smile.

So was Tsukhime's. "Once per turn, Shadowed Moon can take all the damage I take from a battle involving a Moon Shadow and deliver it to you, Solex!"

Solex hissed as blazing shafts of moonlight parted the clouds, searing him sharply. As the cloud cover thickened back up, he glared and snapped out a hand. "Thought Ruler Archfiend, teach her a lesson for her arrogance!" (SLP: 2500)

The Synchro roared and charged, dragging both of its claws across Tsukhime's body sharply. But the succubus didn't even budge or even seemed to acknowledge the attack besides a glance at her duel disk to double-check her life points. (TLP: 800)

"And to round out my turn, I'll bring back my Level Eaters once more!" The two little bugs reappeared on either side of his Thought Ruler. "This is the King's Deck, Shadowchaser. I will always have options and my might is relentless and undying!"

"Is that so?" Tsukihime drew sharply. "Well, watch me do the impossible and stop the unstoppable on this turn!"

"I swap out Full Moon for New Moon. This may cost me my Shadowed Moon trap, but it's not necessary." The field darkened again as the moon vanish and the trap card crumbled into dust.

She about slammed her draw card into her disk. "Your end starts right here with the spell card The Beginning of the End! Since I have seven or more dark monsters in my graveyard, I can banish five of them to draw three cards!"

Starlight Ranger, Webspinner, Frost Breather, Moonlight Fey and Star Whisperer fell out of her graveyard and she swept them up to deposit them in the proper slot on her disk. Snapping up three cards from her deck, she tossed one onto her disk. "I normal summon my Moon Shadow- Chrysalis Princess!" (1000/100)

The monster lived up to its name, a slender girl in a cocoon-like dress of silvers and blacks. She bowed to Tsukhime and then jumped around to glare at Solex, unbothered by the two intimidating monsters across the field. "When this card is summoned, I can move one ritual Moon Shadow from my deck to my hand."

Adding the card to her hand, Tsukihime held up a spell card. "Monster Reborn resurrects my Wolf Mother and in turn, Pack Wolf!" The wolf-woman leapt out of the forest's darkness, joined shortly by the growling wolf.

"Then I activate Ritual of the Lunar Tides, using my Princess' second power to be treated as all seven level stars I need!" A seal opened up on the ground underneath the Princess an inky black and intricate design. She bowed again and sank into the seal easily. "Come forth, Moon Shadow- Sable-Winged Dragon Dumia!"

At first, it looked a sphere of darkness rose up from the seal. But then sphere unfolded itself, revealing it to be the six great, smooth wings of the woman inside. She was taller than any other of Tsukhime's monsters, obsidian scales covering her body for some decency and long silk-like strands of her ebony hair did the rest. Her eyes were bottomless black pits, cold and hard as they fixed on Solex. A barbed tail lashed behind her, the only sign at the rage she was feeling. (2400/2000)

Solex actually flinched slightly as the intimidating woman suddenly snapped out her wings to their fullest extent and began to float slightly in the air. The darkness of the wings seemed to pulse and sheen, intensifying and despite the distance, radiating a bleak coldness that promised no remorse. "What is she doing?"

"Dumia gains four hundred attack points for each dark monster on the field. Thanks to my field spell and your incessant need to play with bugs, there's a total of seven." Tsukhime held up the Ritual of the Lunar Tides card. "I banish this card to target one of my Moon Shadow Rituals. You cannot chain to her attack. Do you know what means, Solex?" (2400-5200)

His teeth grit in snarl and his clenched fist showed that he did indeed realize what it meant.

"Out of words finally, I see. Good, because I've two that I want to burn into your memory!" Tsukhime's hand lifted and pointed at him, her eyes burning fiercely. "YOU LOSE!"

Strands of darkness spilled from the tips of Dumia's wings, linking together to form a hexagon in front of her. Dumia drew back her hand, black flames gathering there. Clenching her hand into a fist, she snapped it straight towards Solex. The flames passed through the hexagon and more than tripled in size, crashing with such force into his Thought Ruler Archfiend that they coated his entire half of the playing field and hid it from view.

The bar patrons shielded their eyes reflexively, though Tsukihime didn't bother. The fires burned even after the forest faded back into the seats and dance floor and Tsukhime's monsters faded away one by one.

There was a long, slow clapping noise as the fires finally peeled and died away to reveal Solex's empty field. The elf himself was doing the clapping, a measured smile on his face. "Congratulations, Tsukihime. That was a most impressive finishing move." (SLP: 0)

"I don't care what you think." Tsukihime scowled darkly at him. "I won, now fulfill your end of the deal!"

"Yes, yes of course." Solex shrugged. "I was getting bored of this place, anyway."

With a gesture, he and his entourage started for the door. The crowd parted for them easily, the patrons uncertain about what was really happening and unnerved by the intense emotions in the atmosphere.

"Hey!" Tsukhime started striding after him. "Leave Kastleneid!"

"Are you sure?" Solex turned around to face her, Kastleneid herself standing by his side an obiedent puppy. "I mean, we both know that its not going to accomplish anything. You can't make a rock any smarter than a rock by calling it another name."

Another arrogant smirk. "Unless you're into things that I'm not aware of, Tsukihime. As a demon, I suppose you _would_ enjoy doing things with toys that are beneath you..."

"Be quiet and leave her, Solex." Tsukihime growled and several patrons instinctively moved away from her intensity.

"Of course I will." Solex wrapped an arm around Kastleneid's waist and pulled her close. She immediately began nuzzling and kissing at him, pressing tighter. "When I'm done with her."

"You-!" Tsukihime had barely taken a step towards him when the elf raised a finger to his lips.

"Shhhhhh...don't go saying things you will regret, now. My friends might not take kindly to that and that could start a fight..and I could get hurt...and no one wants that." He gave her a teasing smile. "But then again, we might...and I'm willing to renegoiate our little deal provided you offer incentive..."

The glare Tsukihime gave him spoke volumes.

"That's what I thought. Pity. It'd be something even you would proud to be part of, being in my bed." He swept Kastleneid around and started for the towards the door.

"Solex..."

"Now what?" He cast an annoyed glance over his shoulder.

Tsukihime looked no different than she had a moment before, but at the same time, she _did _and it was unmistakable. There was not red-hot fury of a demoness or the righteous passion of a Shadowchaser, but the powerful, solemn presence of someone so deeply spiritual and devoted that every fiber of their of their being radiated strength.

This was Tsukihime, Cleric of Erestrial.

"You have no love in you, Solex. Your heart is a blackened, rotten thing and I can only pity you for the fact you cannot ever know happiness or peace from love." She continued speaking, cutting him off as he opened his mouth. "But you will not ruin the lives of others for your own vain attempt to replace your heart with greed and decadence."

The rosario at her chest seemed to shine and her eyes were vibrant, powerful. "I will be watching you, Solex. And when you slip up, when you cross one line that you cannot hide from, I will be there. And you will learn that Hell hath no fury like me."

Their eyes remained locked for a long, charged moment and then the elf broke away first, leading the way out of the bar.

A few moments later, Tsukhime strode boldly upstairs to return to the bar and finally, the long silence was slowly replaced by the patons going for more drinks and returning to the dance floor as they hoped the pounding music and alcohol would wash away the inexplicable dirty feel that tinged their souls.

No one noticed Trueman seated in a dark corner, nursing a glass of wine.

No one noticed the dark smirk on his face and the terrible promise it held, either.

No one but Wallace, the Crusader hiding his own smirk as he took a long pull of his glass.

TTTTTTT

A late fall chill had snapped into the air as the sun had set. So the night air was cold, bits of frost already forming on parked car windows.

But Solex felt none of it as he stormed down the sidewalk. His entourage had dwindled, most of the people driven away by the night's events or the cold. The ones that remained were hardcore followers, the ones who shared his sensibilities and craved the wealth he spent so freely.

So none of them were surprised when he suddenly whirled and landed a powerful punch across Kastleneid's face. She staggered, but was unharmed. There wasn't even a bruise and none of them were surprised by that, too. Solex had wanted a durable toy and had gotten one.

They doubted that even the knuckledusters the elf was sliding on could mar the creation's pale skin.

"That bitch...that godamned demon whore...that _fucking Shadowchaser!_ Deny me, mock me...think she can get away with _threatening me!?" _Solex smashed a pair of blows across Kastleneid's face, sending her stumbling back only slightly.

He didn't follow-up on them, but his shoulders heaved with unspent rage and a dark looked appeared in his face as he glared in her direction. "She humiliated me, thinks she put herself _above the king..._and its because you...a dumb toy, who's not even as smart as a dog and that demon bitch makes you the banner for her noble cause!?"

His kick caught her square in the chest and sent in crashing backwards into a pair of trashcans and some empty cardboard boxes. She started to rise, but he planted another kick on her face. "No, stay down, you stupid doll. You've soured my fun and ruined yourself for me. Just stay in the garbage where you belong!"

The groupies glanced at once another and muttered, which didn't go unnoticed by Solex. The elf fired a wild-eyed glare over his should at them. "WHAT!?"

"You want to get rid of her..." One of them told him, too used to the elf's rage to be frightened. "It seems kind of a waste, ya know...I mean, she is a good toy..."

"I can get another one or two...as many I wanted, so why would I want one that I'm bored of?" Solex barked, but he forced his breathing to steady, calming himself down. "But I see your point...and the cast-offs a king are still superior to even the most finely made things you normal people can make...so yes, yes, take your reward for faithfulness. Use her as you like."

"Here...in the alley?"

"The gifts of a king can be enjoyed anywhere. But they're only offered once, so use or it lose it." Solex flicked his gaze over to his purchase as the group murmured some complaints, but moved towards her all the same. "Kastleneid! Be of use for once and please them!"

"Yes, Master." She stood and responded eagerly to the first one as he dragged her deeper into the alleyway and kissed her. Despite the cold, clothes were quickly shed and the participants literally tore hers away, shoving her to her knees. She followed Solex's command wholeheartedly, using her hands, her mouth, her tongue and anything else they wanted her to fulfill their pleasure.

No part of her body was off limits and they used it all, every position and angle and she called them daddy and brother and mama. She begged and pleaded and spilled out compliments and hundreds dirty words and phrases in a dozen different languages. As many of them wanted her at once, she took on and gave back twofold. Whatever they wanted, whatever they needed to feel pleasure, she gave and gave and gave to satsiate their endless desire to take.

Finally, they were finished and she lay there, covered in fluids and sweat and cold. Not exhausted or tired, but simply waiting for the order to stand.

It never came. Solex hauled her up by her hair and vented his rage on her body. He could not harm her, even with the knuckledusters, but he was a trained fighter. Punishing fists and feet sought weak points in joints, her neck and ribcage. Finally, he seized her arm in both hands and smashed it against his knee. It broke at the elbow only slightly, a faint 'crack' being the only sign.

She cried out in pain and an enraged backhand silenced her. "Be quiet!"

His failure to do any lasting damage to her incensed him further, as a knife entered the picture. But he had to work even harder than with his blows to cut her, finally settling on a repeated slicing stab between her breasts. She followed his instructions, remaining silent even as he finally cut into her skin and then tissue beneath after minutes and minutes of effort.

A snarl escaped him as he hit bone, the blade creaking and protesting trying to penetrate something so hard. He stabbed viciously a few times, only a grunt acknowledging his success as the as the blade pierced deeper. Then a disgusted sigh as he wrenched it free, the blade breaking in half. Blood stained his gloved hand as he scrabbled for the broken half.

He pulled it free and stood, his shoulders heaving, but his rage finally spent. The elf glared at her unflinching, patient and expecting stare and then turned and left her field of vision.

She lay there, thinking of nothing and not even aware that she was bleeding out.

She could not tell time, so there was no way for her even to estimate how long she had been and even if she could have, it would have no meaning to her unless her Master told it was to have meaning for her.

Had she been aware she had been dying, she would have noted that the gasp of horror from someone was far to faint despite their closeness to her. It was the same with running feet, both when they left and when they returned with a second pair.

Faint voices, a calm visage in her field of vision and a hand over the wound in her chest. There was slight tingle and the visage bit their lip and she caught something about 'applying all the healing magic I can' and it 'not working.'.

The visage vanished and something glass broke. There were hoofbeats a few moments later and two voices, hurried and growing louder.

"-can't heal when I don't know what I'm healing-"

"-what are we supposed to-

"Turn her!"

"-don't know if that will even work-"

"_Turn her!"_

"-no idea of the consequences-"

"She doesn't even know she's dying. _TURN HER!" _

A dark-haired face appeared, baring impossibly long fangs. Ruby eyes glittered and then vanished as the face darted down to her wound and drove the fangs into her heart.

The toy took a deep shuddering breath, arched her back and let out a rattling scream. A thought of hating herself for disobeying her Master's order to 'Be quiet!' flicked through her dimming mind and with a jerk exhale, she died.

A moment later, the vampire Kastleneid awoke.

"Master..."

TTTTTTT

A/N:_..._

…

…

_He's going to get his. And then some_

_But before he does, we must visit one more Shadowchaser who was an eventful day today. Kenshin has finally found a solution to the lock- she's going to duel it! But what could be so important inside that Yliaster went to these lengths to protect it?_

_Next Chapter: Jimmy The Lock an' His Big Gamble_

_No Secret Life of Characters this time. That's not where the focus needs to be at the moment..._

Created Cards:

Full Moon  
Field Spell Card  
Effect: All face-up 'Moon Shadow' monsters you control are treated as LIGHT-attribute monsters. During your Standby Phase, you may shuffle this card back into your Deck to activate one 'Full Moon' from your Deck, Hand or Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you may skip your Draw Phase to add one 'Moon Shadow' card from your Deck to your Hand.

New Moon  
Field Spell Card  
Effect: All face-up 'Moon Shadow' monsters you control are treated as DARK-attribute monsters. During your Standby Phase, you may shuffle this card into your Deck to activate one 'New Moon' from your Deck, Hand or Graveyard. Once per turn, when a 'Moon Shadow' monster is destroyed, you may pay 800 life points. Special Summon that monster.

Moonlight Spotlight  
Normal Spell Card  
Effect: You may only activate this card if you control no monsters.

-If 'Full Moon' is in play, you may Special Summon one level 4 or lower Moon Shadow from your deck. The monster Special Summoned by this effect is sent to the graveyard during the End Phase

-If 'New Moon' is in play, you may Special Summon one level 4 or lower Moon Shadow from your graveyard.

Ritual of the Lunar Tides  
Ritual Spell Card  
Effect: This card is used to Ritual Summon 'Moon Shadow- Sable-Winged Dragon- Dumia', 'Moon Shadow- Gossamer-Winged Dragon Suria' or 'Moon Shadow- Eclipse-Winged Drago Lunaria'. You must also Tribute monsters from your Hand or Field who's combined Levels are equal or greater than, the Level of the monster you are attemping to Ritual Summon.

Shadowed Moon  
Continuous Trap Card  
Effect: While this card is face-up, 'Moon' Field Spell cards you control cannot be destroyed. Once per turn, when a Moon Shadow monster battles an opponent's monster, you may inflict the Battle Damage you would have received from that battle to your opponent's life points as Effect Damage. If you activate a 'New Moon' or 'Full Moon' during your Standby Phase, destroy this card.

Moon Shadow- Pack Wolf  
EARTH  
3 stars  
Beast/Effect  
1000/800  
Effect: This card is treated as Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. This card may only used for the Synchro or Xyz Summon of a 'Moon Shadow' monster. If this card's attribute is LIGHT or DARK, treat this card as an Effect Monster and apply the appropriate effect.  
LIGHT: During your Standby Phase, if this card is in face-up Attack Position, Special Summon one 'Moon Shadow- Pack Wolf' from your Deck.  
DARK: Double this card's ATK and DEF if you control another face-up 'Moon Shadow- Pack Wolf'.

Moon Shadow- Comet Turtle  
FIRE  
4 stars  
Pyro/Effect  
1500/1000  
Effect: This card is treated as Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. This card may only used for the Synchro or Xyz Summon of a 'Moon Shadow' monster. If this card's attribute is LIGHT or DARK, treat this card as an Effect Monster and apply the appropriate effect.  
LIGHT: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, Special Summon one level four or lower 'Moon Shadow' from your Deck.  
DARK: When this card is destroyed as a result of a card effect, Special Summon one level four or lower 'Moon Shadow' from your Deck.

Moon Shadow- Illusion Captain  
FIRE  
3 stars  
Warrior/Effect  
1200/700  
Effect: This card is treated as Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. This card may only used for the Synchro or Xyz Summon of a 'Moon Shadow' monster. If this card's attribute is LIGHT or DARK, treat this card as an Effect Monster and apply the appropriate effect.  
LIGHT: When this card is Summoned, Special Summon one level four or lower 'Moon Shadow' from your Hand.  
DARK: When this card is summoned, Special Summon one level 4 or lower 'Moon Shadow' from your Graveyard. The monster summoned by this effect cannot attack and is returned to its owner's Hand during the End Phase.

Moon Shadow- Moonlight Fey  
LIGHT  
1 star  
Fairy/Tuner  
Effect: This card may only used for the Synchro or Xyz Summon of a 'Moon Shadow' monster. If this card's attribute is LIGHT or DARK, treat this card as an Effect Monster and apply the appropriate effect.  
LIGHT: Once per turn, increase the Level of a face-up 'Moon Shadow' monster other than this card by any number between 1-3  
DARK: Once per turn, increase the level of this face-up monster by any number between 1-3.

Moon Shadow- Star Whisperer  
LIGHT  
2 stars  
Dragon/Tuner  
Effect: This card may only used for the Synchro or Xyz Summon of a 'Moon Shadow' monster. If this card's attribute is LIGHT or DARK, treat this card as an Effect Monster and apply the appropriate effect.  
LIGHT: Reduce the Level of a face-up Moon Shadow monster you control by one; Special Summon this card from your Hand.  
DARK: Reduce the Level of a face-up Moon Shadow monster you control by one; Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. This effect may only used once per turn.

Moon Shadow- Serene Dancer  
4 stars  
LIGHT  
1900/1200  
Fairy/Effect  
Effect: When this card is Summoned, add one 'Ritual of the Lunar Tides' card from your Deck or Graveyard to your Hand. This card may only used for the Synchro or Xyz Summon of a 'Moon Shadow' monster.

Moon Shadow- Sable-Winged Dragon Dumia  
7 stars  
DARK  
Dragon/Ritual/Effect  
2000/2000  
Effect: This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card, 'Ritual of the Lunar Tides'. This card is always treated as DARK-attribute. This card deals Piercing. This card gains 400 ATK and DEF for each DARK-attribute monster in play. When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle, you may draw 1 card. When this card would be destroyed, you may tribute one DARK 'Moon Shadow' monster you control instead.

Moon Shadow-Wolf Mother  
LIGHT  
4 stars  
Beast-Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
1800/1200  
Effect: 1 'Moon Shadow'-Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters.  
When this card is Summoned, Special Summon as many 'Moon Shadow-Pack Wolf' monsters from your graveyard that you can. When there is a face-up 'Moon Shadow- Pack Wolf' on the field, increase this card's by ATK 800.

Moon Shadow- Glistening Ice Swan  
LIGHT  
7 stars  
Winged-Beast/Synchro/Effect  
2500/1700  
Effect: 1 'Moon Shadow'-Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters.  
-If this card is LIGHT-attribute, apply the following effect: When this card desroys a monster as a result of battle, Special Summon one 'Ice Crane Token'. (WIND/3 stars/Winged-Beast/800/800)  
-If this card is DARK-attribute, apply the following effect: Once per turn, destroy one monster you control. The select one card on your opponent's side of the field and destroy that card.

Moon Shadow- Frost Breather  
DARK  
Rank 4  
Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect  
2200/1200  
Effect: 2 Level 4 'Moon Shadow' monsters  
You activate each of the following effects only once per turn:  
-Detach one Xyz Material from this card and select one face-up card on the field. As long as this card is face-up on the field, the selected card has its effects negated.  
-Detach one Xyz Material from this card and select one face-up monster on the field. As long as this card is face-up on the field, reduce the selected monster's ATK and DEF by 800.

Moon Shadow- Lunar Webspinner  
DARK  
Rank 3  
Insect/Xyz/Effect  
900/1200  
Effect: 2 Level 3 'Moon Shadow' monsters  
You may detach an Xyz Material from this card to activate the following effect: Select one face-up Defense Position monster your opponent controls. If the selected monster's ATK or DEF is less than this card's DEF, take control of the selected monster. If this card leaves the field, return control of the selected monsters to your opponent.


End file.
